So finally Telecom Minister Raja resigned. As did Ashok Chavan, the Maharashtra CM.
But that should not be the end of the story. We need to punish the guilty in the case of Adarsh Housing Scam, and the punishment should be exemplary. The money that changed hands should be recovered, and all the politicians and bureaucrats put behind the bars and do voluntary social work for say 8 years at least.
In the case of the telecom scandal, Raja was only a pawn. The money trail (1.7 lakh crores is quite a bit of money) definitely has reached the top echeleons of the Congress Party and the DMK. This needs to be uncovered. While I dont believe that bribes of that amount were paid to get the licenses, it is clear that at least 25% of that amount would have been paid as bribe by the licensees. This ought to have been public money and needs to be tracked. The best way out is ask the companies who got the licenses to cough up this money within 6 months or else face strict penal action and involve the courts so that these companies cant delay the implementation through court room stalling. Set up a fast track court with a time frame of one year. Once the licensees are asked to pay the money, then they will ensure that the politicians whom they had bribed repay the money to them or at least they will be forced to divulge their names. It is worth a try.
What we should not do is to accept that these two guys have been punished enough. Losing the ministership is nothing.
