Take back honours from those found involved in controversies
LETTER TO EDITOR
Many personalities and celebrities honoured in past with national honours of Padma awards are now have been found involved in controversies. Only recently ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochar having been awarded with Padma Bhushan in past has been removed from his post. Even there are reports that some of those honoured with Padma awards in the year 2018, were declined these honours in past because of intelligence agencies not having endorsed their names after being cleared by Awards Committee. Even submissions filed with Union Home Ministry for taking back Padma awards from some celebrities involved in criminal cases and for being wilful bank-defaulters are not yet decided after years of filing submissions.
Central government should arrange a review of all Padma awards given in past by seeking affidavits from the awardees for their not being involved in court-cases and controversies. Alternatively or simultaneously, media-advertisements can be given asking members of public to send any disturbing reports about awardees. For future, intelligence agencies should be given sufficient time to verify nominations cleared by Awards Committee by requiring Awards Committee to submit final recommendations by 30th November with last date for recommendation preponed to 30th June. Even idea of making recommendations of Awards Committee public before final list is announced on eve of Republic Day can be studied so that people knowing some bitter facts about recommended names may send their comments to Union Home Ministry.
SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL
1775 Kucha Lattushah
Dariba, Chandni Chowk
DELHI 110006 (India)