AAP bats for 'Annual Statewide Corruption Index' to curb graft

Dehradun: AAP unit of Uttarakhand today asked the Centre to publish an 'Annual Statewide Corruption Index' ranking states in accordance with their levels of corruption, in a bid to develop an institutional mechanism to discourage graft.

"The time is ripe for your government to take a bold step and start ranking states on their prevailing levels of corruption by establishing the Annual Statewide Corruption Index (ASCI) on the lines of  Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index," Anup Nautiyal, president of AAP's state Working Committee, said in a letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I believe that over a period of time, the ASCI will usher in a culture of efficient governance and cleaner politics all over the country. This will also help the country improve its image on the global stage and facilitate the process of economic development," he said.The AAP leader said he was making the suggestion after being dismayed at the alleged "government-aided rampant loot and corruption. 

"Our natural resources like land, rivers, forests, mountains, glaciers are up for sale. Illegal mining is creating massive ecological scars in the Himalayan ecosystem. Rampant construction along riverbeds with the tacit approval of conniving authorities is a major cause for concern.

"With the establishment of the ASCI there will be an institutional mechanism that will discourage corruption. States that consistently rank poorly on the ASCI will be shamed and forced to take corrective measures," he added.