Whistleblowers should be given protection in India: Lokayukta

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta Justice PP Naolekar said there should be laws to protect the lives of whistleblowers in India as in Philippines and his agency would forward suggestions to the government here in this regard.

"There is a need to give protection to whistleblowers to deal with corruption," Naolekar, a retired Supreme Court Judge said on Sunday.

A whistleblower Satyendra Kumar Dubey, who was a project director at National Highways Authority of India, was murdered in November 2003 after he reportedly wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister about the high-level corruption in a road construction in Bihar.

"In Philippines, there was a law to give protection to the whistleblowers," Justice Naolekar said.

"We are working on this issue and will forward our suggestions to the state government. This work needs time," the Lokayukta said.

"There is a need to maintain secrecy on whistleblowers and he or she should be given some benefits in service career," he said.

"The corruption from the society can be effectively checked if people shun paying bribes to get their work done in a hurry," Justice Naolekar suggested.

"If the people wait and follow procedure to get their work done, things will change," he said.