Ind loses $ 16 bn to corruption every year, says Kiran Bedi

Chicago, Jun 17: About $ 16 billion is lost to corruption every year in India said ex-IPS officer, Kiran Bedi.

"Out of every Rs 100 meant for infrastructure development, only Rs 16 is used and Rs 84 is lost," said Bedi at a event conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

She further said that India could become a developed nation in the world only after it becomes free of corruption first and pays back all its debt.

"I would like to see Indians in America collectively raising a voice because it is our future," said Bedi, who is also a part of Anna Hazare's fight against corruption.

She further spoke about the Lokpal Bill and said that corruption in India was at its peak because the country lacked a system which could keep a check on activities like these.

"It is only in the last two months thanks to the Supreme Court that key players and politicians went to jail for the first time and have not been bailed out till now," said Bedi.

Speaking about the event India Against Corruption that was held at Gayatri Shaktipeeth she said, "Scams have increased over the years and the number of recorded scams have also increased," and said that records showed that such scams had no appropriate punishment.

She urged that she needed support from the Non-Resident Indians (NRI) in the fight against corruption for taking the campaign a step forward.

"We can also try to weed out corruption if we allocate even 0.5 per cent of budget for anti-corruption," she added.

OneIndia News