Ref: E&R/PRESS/VAJPAYEE.55/MDS/DG

CERC Urges PM for Whistle Blowers Protection Act

Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad, has urged the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to initiate the enactment of the Whistle Blowers Protection Act and order soon a “full inquiry” into the murder of Satyendra Dubey, an IIT engineer, for providing information to the Prime Minister on corruption in the National Highway Project funding.

CERC described it as painful that persons who aim at eliminating corruption should run the risk of being murdered and their family members being kidnapped by corrupt people themselves. It is especially so for citizens groups which have been working for a “zero corruption Indian society” and citizens’ Right to Information by using information to be collected through the Freedom of Information Act.

While an inquiry into the Dubey murder case would vindicate the Prime Minister’s campaign for “zero corruption”, the proposed Whistle Blowers Protection Act, already passed by some countries, could be part of the long-term permanent step for protecting conscientious citizens who act as whistle blowers and for dealing with corruption, CERC added. Under the Act, organisations should be directed to evolve a mechanism which will allow and encourage employees to act as whistle blowers within the organisation and report any instances of fraud, thefts, misappropriation of funds, etc. to a committee headed by a judicial member. The committee in turn will deal with the management directly for corrective measures, thus avoiding any adverse publicity outside the organisation.

It is unfortunate that with the murder of Mr. Satyendra Dubey what was apprehended has, in fact, happened and that too at an early stage. It is, therefore, high time that on one hand a “full enquiry” be ordered and, on the other, a Bill be simultaneously introduced in the Parliament to have such a law enacted.

When Prof. Manubhai Shah, Chairman Emeritus, CERC, had appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Freedom of Information Bill. He had explicitly made a submission that, Whistle Blowers’ Protection Act, a separate law, be enacted or adequate provisions be made in the Freedom of Information Bill so that Whistle Blowers and their family members are adequately protected.

The Chairman of the Committee and other Members had then enquired of Prof. Shah as to what the Whistle Blowers Protection Act meant and whether he had any model of such a law passed by some other countries. Later, Prof. Shah submitted to the Chairman of the Committee a copy of the Whistle Blowers Protection Act of a foreign country as a model.

The expression “Whistle Blower” came to be debated for the first time when Ralph Nader of the USA, the world leader of the consumer protection movement, wrote a book “Unsafe at any Speed”. It was about one car model of General Motors which was found to be unsafe. His book was largely based upon information that he had obtained from General Motors engineers.

Thereafter a book has been published called “Whistle Blowing” where a number of tragedies, which have taken place in different countries where Whistle Blowers or their family members were killed, kidnapped or harassed, are narrated.

Date : 25/12/2003
Place : Ahmedabad

Pritee Shah
Editor
INSIGHT - The Consumer Magazine

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CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY
“Suraksha Sankool”, Thaltej, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway,
Ahmedabad- 380 054 (INDIA)
Phone: 079-7489945-46 Fax: 079-7489947
E-mail: cerc@wilnetonline.net
Web Site: http://www.cercindia.org
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