PATNA, Aug 27: India’s former army chief General V.K. Singh on Monday rued that corruption was prevalent everywhere in the country and like `cancer’ eating into its vitals.

“Corruption has spread like cancer to eat into the vitals of the country ... It is everywhere,” he told a national conference on `Eradication of Corruption: Social Responsibility and Challenge’.

“The scourge has become so pervasive that it has become quite legitimate for a person to say give me money, I will give you work,” Gen (retd) Singh said.

Black money was another issue dogging the country and corrupt persons have stashed their huge ill-gotten wealth in foreign shores, he said.

The black money stashed abroad was so big in size that the country could achieve development of infrastructure on fast-track basis and provide civil amenities to its citizens if it could be brought back.

“The onus is on all of us to fulfil three dreams of the freedom fighters — freedom from colonial rule, equality to all citizens, and founding of a socio-political and economic system based on equity and justice,” he said.

By arrangement with Times of India