A legitimate query

Please say how quake contributions were spent

The Japanese Ambassador has raised a very pertinent question in demanding of the government an audited statement on how it utilised the Rs 25 crore given by Tokyo to the Primer Minister’s Relief Fund. He said this was the Japanese taxpayers’ money made over for the noble cause of mitigating the suffering of the victims of the Gujarat earthquake. As such, his government had every right to know the manner in which the sum was expended. He is right. The response of the prime minister’s office, that contributions to the PM’s Relief Fund are not subject to audit and the government is not duty-bound to make the details public, holds no water. When there is a straightforward demand for details, why take shelter in the fact that there is no precedent? If anything, the government should come out, of its own accord, with a full-fledged report, complete with details of donations from the international community and even corporate bodies and their utilisation. If there is nothing to hide, let it not be hidden. Let there be full-scale transparency.

The world stood by India when calamity struck in Gujarat. Help, in money and materials, poured in and commendable work was done by national and international voluntary organisations. The government’s own response was better than it has been in the past to similar calamities. But note that there still is no national disaster management. As with all calamities in India, this one made the headlines for a while and it looked as if safety norms would be enforced in the future — and then new headlines replaced Gujarat. Reports fly in the face of claims that rehabilitation work is in full swing. There are complaints that relief materials did not reach the affected, and many still live perilously exposed to the elements. Perhaps it was this which prompted the Japanese diplomat to seek details. The government did acquit itself better in tackling the disaster than in the case of the Latur quake. Now, if there is no transparent accounting, not only will the international community think before offering financial aid to this country in a future disaster, Indian citizens will themselves be inhibited: what hope for an assurance that their money would be well spent if even governments have no guarantee?