The Lokpal plot

Shanti Bhushan Supreme Court advocate,Team Anna member,self-appointed representative of civil society and self-anointed crusader against corruption stares at the prospect of having to speak for himself,and his son Jayant,again. An Uttar Pradesh government audit has resurrected the controversial Noida farmhouse scheme,whereby the Bhushans,along with others,had been allotted farmhouse plots at reportedly a fraction of the market rate. The audit has uncovered not only the lack of transparency in the allotment but also the loss of Rs 145.80 crore caused to the exchequer. According to the audit,as reported in this newspaper,the Noida Authority,not mandated to issue this scheme in the first place,also made five amendments to it within a month in order to favour the allottees,while covering the ground from formulation to launch at the blistering pace of 13 days. Apparently,it took them little to make up their minds.

At the time this newspaper had first reported these discretionary allotments in April,Shanti Bhushan had expressed surprise as to how his son and he ended up being allottees,admitting the lack of transparency. He didnt stop there,advocating that those denied allotments challenge the same,and disclosing that he had heard that bribes have passed hands,although not from the Bhushan end. What is a man,what has he got if not himself his crusading credentials,since farmhouses can be here and gone? For,this case could be a textbook illustration of the sort of bhrashtachar Team Anna have long declared their war on,that they believe should be,and can be,weeded out only by an uncompromising,blanket super-law framed and implemented through a maximalist campaign of not yielding an inch.

Doubtless,Team Anna and the Bhushans will sit down to figure out,in their wisdom,the implications of the UP audit for the anti-corruption campaign. After all,they have been very worried about what sort of person might wind up at the head of government Madhu Koda,A. Raja? as if democratic and judicial checks didnt exist in this country. Well,after Kiran Bedi and her air tickets,Team Anna now has even more room for debate on integrity at home.