THE CULTURE OF CORRUPTION

Nowadays I am residing in Bangalore.  In Karnataka corruption and bribery are ruling the roost and is more conspicuous in every department. To elaborate, I had bitter experience of the same last year when   I had to go to the office of Bangalore Bruhat Mahanagar Palike at Bangalore for remitting  property tax of my son’s flat .  In fact the tax for last 2 years was in arrears and totally 3 years’ tax was to be paid .  I was asked to present receipts of payments made for the previous 3 years by the  Clerk of the concerned Section.  As I had not got receipts for 2 years I have requested him to get the same  from computer records, which he refused to do. I was in a quandary and was helpless.  Finally that clerk called me alone and asked me whether I can do some ‘adjustment’ so that he can help me out and  demanded a bribe of Rs.3,000/-.  Further he informed me that I will have to pay double the amount as tax since the flat is given on rent.  He was ready for ‘adjustment’ for this also provided I agree to pay Rs.6,000/- for the same. Anticipating  that I will accept the offer, he has searched  out the record next day and accepted the tax arrears payment.  Later on, after ensuring  that he is absent  from the office,  a couple of days later I went and collected the receipts and evaded payment of bribery.  

This is the state of affairs prevailing in departments like BBMP in Karnataka. I was told that what I experienced at the office of Bangalore Bruhat Mahanagar Palike was only tip of an icreberg and  offices of almost all Government departments in Karnataka are knee-deep in corruption and without giving bribe you cannot get any work done  in any of them.

This brings to my mind the memories of working under environment of corruption and bribery in Hindustan Newsprint Ltd., Kerala.  That is to say, like anybody else, it was my long-cherished desire to get a job in my native state. While I was working in Delhi, I had made some attempts towards that direction but to no avail.  On getting married in  1974, my wife has started pressurizing me to seek an employment in Kerala. As ill luck would have it, I was able to get an opportunity to apply in that company in 1981 only. Then some  local leader of Congress Party (which was in power both at the centre and State at that time)has approached my father-in-law and asked him to pay a certain amount  for getting the appointment order and he made the payment.  Subsequently, I joined Hindustan Newsprint Ltd., during  September,1981.

On joining  I was posted with the Personnel Manager of the organization.   During that period, the recruitment of  workers was going on  in full  swing. I could smell the corruption prevailing in recruitments and  also realized the game plan being implemented by the authorities.  The modus operandi was as follows. They used to leak out the list of selected persons once the interview was over to a particular union owing allegiance to the party that ruled both State and Centre.  This union,  in turn used to send their emissaries  to those selectees and make them believe that though they have applied for a job, it is not certain that they will be appointed and if an amount is given as bribe they can get them appointed in the company.  In this manner they have  made many selectees  to pay an amount as advance on the assurance   that the remainder shall be paid on getting appointment letter and  many such deals were struck. Then it struck me that my father-in-law also fell a prey to such a plan by paying bribe for my employment. 

While I was in Personnel Department, I had access to recruitment file concerning Stenographer and  to my utter disbelief I could find that my name ranked first in the list of selectees and for that my father-in-law was duped to pay bribe to the local leader of Congress Party.

Many people used to pester me with offer of bribe as I was attached to Personnel Department and it has become a mental disturbance and embarrassment for me.  I recollect that some of my friends had then branded me as a person who has not learned to live as  in their view I should have taken advantage of the situation by reaching an understanding with the authorities thereby amassing  as much wealth as possible.  Finally  I got  myself transferred elsewhere and escaped from the suffocating environment.