Once I was looking at the design made for laying the cycle track and as per the international standards suggested the concrete thickness. The engineer in the department was suggesting me to go for more thicker concrete, this is because the bribe is based on the fixed percentage. Higher the total value, higher the total amount he would get.
Review and cost escalation is another method for restarting the delayed projects. Therefore people in the system over a period or a number of years get percentages, by delaying a project.
The quality of works is worst in many places. Roads get damaged more often, and there is a great nexus between roads and corruption in the system. The quality of the roads and manholes in many places proves that there are not many engineers who are qualified. No, there are highly qualified engineers, using their intellect to damage the roads so that they could get a percentage of bribe for every new road laid or repaired. In real life getting promoted and earning more for doing wrong things. In reality, their houses are the strongest and are well built as per the standards, with the corrupt money.
Why without demand from people, roads are laid again and again? The roads have become the bunds, as many times the new road is laid on the old road and the height of the roads increased. As a result, the residential areas between the grid of roads (bunds) have become cesspools and mini tanks, especially during the rainy season. This is mainly because mostly the gully leader, the legislator, the engineers, officials, accountants, administrators and relevant people in the hierarchy gets a percentage share or lump sum. In the history of civilisation’s that existed, roads were never laid so often, as the corruption was not so exorbitant and magnanimous.
As an example, it took about ten years to complete a crucial flyover bridge. The beautification of a tank bund was never completed even after a decade and it is still pending.
Like one cannot lift a dining chair in the house of a forest official. That is because it is easy and access illegally the best wood from the forest. That one could see that all the furniture and doors in a forest personnel house are the best and highly durable. This I observed this during my visit to a forest range officers house.
There was a senior officer in the government service. He had some private businesses. A chartered accountant was submitting the income tax returns for his businesses. One day he asked for the consultancy fees for the service rendered by him. The officer instead of paying him said ‘use me.’ If it was a tissue paper one can use it in many ways. This person was surprised by the response and he is no more doing the audit for that officer. Many politicians also follow a similar strategy of ‘use me’ and create followers.
I often witnessed that, there is a huge demand for the people in the positions with a chance for high corruption, they get married easily to the person of their choice. In the Indian civil services exam, the Indian Administrative Service is usually preferred by the candidates who get a high rank. In contrast, I saw a person for the benefit of easy corrupt money had chosen another position where there is greater potential. Some of the interview board members, they act as brokers and negotiate the marriage proposals with the candidates appearing for the interviews i
One of the secretaries to a senior most officer was fond of Silk sarees, she was getting Silk sarees as gifts from the visitors to the officer. She wears them every day to the office.
The gas agencies make money, during a new connection, they forcibly sell the stove and accessories at an exorbitant price to the clients. Otherwise, they deny the gas connection.
The vehicle registration officials and the broker’s network play with the life of people, for some extra money they issue driving licences to the less experienced people. They also issue fitness certificates to the very old and unfit vehicles.
These are some of the important aspects where corruption has become a tradition.
Even as a child, I was observing the respective department signatures with the children of the respective families. Say a railway person would give the metal wheels used for pulling signals for their children to play. A Road Transport Corporation persons children would have covers of their books with the plastic covers of the bus seats.
Corruption manifests in different forms. Although I have not given enough examples. Some people might call it differently but corruption essentially comprises of a) Taking or giving money for an unjust favour b) Taking money for being an authority to approve c) Having bad thoughts about someone or something d) Not doing the duties correctly e) Exploitation of resources unsustainably f) Causing direct or indirect negative impacts through an action g) Not paying the right price while taking a service or goods like purchasing vegetables from a farmer at a low price h) selling goods or services at a higher price like hoarding i) Escalating or devaluation of shares through the hype created j) Making offerings to Gods or Goddesses for compensating with the unethical acts or sins and k) Ease of doing business through corruption.
