The minister discounted the other options of the government takeover of the building or demolition of that part of the structure in excess of the prescribed FSI (floor space index) because the first option would have bequeathed ‘substantial discretionary power' to the government while the second option would have been tantamount to ‘regularising or condoning' violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 1991.
Discretion in the hands of unscrupulous people, doubtless, leads to corruption and nepotism. Sonia Gandhi also advocated for dispensing with the government's discretionary powers to allocate land, which she described as the top source of corruption, while addressing the 83rd plenary session of the Congress.
Though nearly 20,000 Congress delegates were boisterous in their applause for each paragraph of the party president's speech, none clapped when she admonished chief ministers and ministers to give up their discretionary powers. She was herself amazed at the lukewarm response and muttered with a wry smile, “No clapping for this". Read the full report here.
Source: by Sudhanshu Ranja, Deccan Herald, Bangalore.
