Checking corruption - some suggestions

Dr Sanjay Kumar Panda

June 28, 2025   

Corruption, along with poverty and unemployment, as the major issues concerning a common citizen have been in the news almost daily. In that background the reported incident of Shri Dhiman Chakma, sub collector of Dharmagarh subdivision, Kalahandi district getting nabbed by the State vigilance on the 8th June 2025 is not a big surprise. In any case, the amount recovered from him (about Rs 57 lakhs) appeared to be a pittance, when compared with the cash recovered from engineers /country liquor barons / burnt cash from servant quarters in the recent past. However, this incidence is a bit different as the person (i) is young with hardly 4 years of service, (ii) selected for All India Service, held with high esteem in the society, (iii) from a humble background, being son of a teacher and from the scheduled tribe community and (v) from Tripura in the North eastern region. This incidence was painful for me as he had studied in the Ram Krishna Mission School, Agartala, dedicated to value based education under personal care and supervision of the monks of the Mission. During my working in Tripura, on the request of revered Swamiji, I had visited this school several times and spend time with the students discussing values in public life.

 

“Corruption” is an aberration / a deviation from standard pattern, behaviour or rules. The example of a "computer disk getting corrupted", meaning that it cannot be read or used by the system (computer), best illustrates this point. In human beings, corruption has its origin in the mind and is typical to the person. Corruption has been there in all times and in all societies, across the underdeveloped, developing and developed countries. One can always debate on “eradication or uprooting corruption”, is a common promise made by the candidates during election campaigning, which has often proved to be short-lived and false. Accordingly, it will be pragmatic to focus available resources, including time and will power for reducing corruption, keeping it within limits in general and ensuring that it does not affect the day to day life of the common citizen, and the underprivileged in particular. For example, checking corruption in provision of relief to a person affected by natural calamity, or old age pension is feasible and hence worthwhile than a multi crores defence deal. There are several examples to illustrate this point.

 

Let me take this forward for understanding of the genesis of corruption in the society. Corruption in public life has its origin in the social practice of “Nazarana” - presenting gifts as a mark of respect on meeting (Darshan). One common example is the practice of offering a packet of harmless sweets (laddu) during Deewali. The other common practice is “Sukrana” – offering gift for expressing gratitude, as is done by parents of a new born to doctor/ nursing staff, or to a teacher on successful passing out of a student. This social practice of gifting to civil servants by common citizen evolved in magnitude and intention over time. As a matter of fact, provisions of service conduct rules have been revised from time to time for regulating this.

 

With time these well intentioned practices acquired the new dimension of “Jabarana” – demanding illegal gratification (usually in cash) with an element of force for getting something done. The nature, quantum and methodology of this practice has undergone substantial changes with time.

 

A study, conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), throws valuable insights on the factors behind public servants taking bribes and becoming corrupt. Conducted on the police setup of Uttar Pradesh, this study had identified “insatiable human desire” as the prime reason behind corruption. It is followed by “cumbersome procedure”, “doing it again and again (with little risk of getting caught and punished)”, “learning from others”, “poor supervision”, “delayed and inadequate punishments” as other factors. These findings have been acted upon for evolving strategy to reduce corruption.

 

In case the “insatiable human desire”, which relates to human greed, mind-set of individuals is taken out, tackling the remaining factors can be grouped under two broad heads, namely (i) introducing a system for handling public affairs in a transparent manner with reduced or no discretion, and (ii) running the system efficiently on a ‘No nonsense approach”.

 

It is satisfying that Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of government resources to the common citizens using the “Janadhan, Aadhar, Mobile (JAM)” platform has come up as one of the best examples of system based approach. Indian experience of using this as a tool for checking corruption has been globally recognised as a best practice in good governance and earned rich accolades. Disbursement of government grants in form of old age pension, stipend, wage etc. to millions of people living across the country has been made possible by using systems and reducing corruption by eliminating discretion arising out of human interface. However, there are opportunity for improving this further. In course of disbursement of stipend to women handloom weavers in rural rea, difficulties were noticed in respect of women having bank accounts in the Odisha Gramin Bank, which were not compatible for online transfer (DBT). Besides, there were problems due to mismatch in mobile number and address mentioned in the Aadhar. It is necessary to look beyond introduction of system for overcoming such lacunas.

 

In respect of the news report referred to above, facts revealed that the bribe was intended for facilitating permission for a stone crusher unit, a typical case of leasing out public good, which was being manipulated for personal gain. The fact that the beneficiary contractor was willing to pay Rs 20 lakhs indicate the scope for increasing revenue from this transaction involving public goods, which was being compromised as a gain for the errand officer. This sort of malpractice can be checked by “Reverse auction on digital platform ", which is an established practice for over the last two decades. As a matter of fact, I was associated with evolving this practice for sale of steel scraps in a transparent manner, while working as the Chief Vigilance Officer, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) (2002-04). It goes without saying that introduction of this method for disposal of public goods like sand, stone etic, will not only reduce corruption but will increase government revenue substantially.

 

Incidence of corruption reported in the media brings embarrassment to the government machineries and is often met by making the procedure more stringent. This sort of knee jerk reaction only aggravate the position, as it increases the burden of compliance by the common man. In the rural area, common citizen meet the local officials for day to day issues like (i) getting income, birth, death and disability certificates, assistance for housing and (ii) land related matters like mutation of land records. The lower level officials take advantage of the procedure and ask for multiple documents, which makes it difficult and delays the process. For example as the Aadhar is has both photo and address, asking for two documents for these two are avoidable. Common man is often forced to pay bribe for overcoming the procedure and delay. Computerisation of records and setting up Common Services Centres (CSC) have improved the position to a considerable extent. Computerisation of land records has similarly come handy, particularly in the urban areas and for the educated.

 

This is an ongoing process, which is required to be pursued with commitment on a continuous basis for extending the benefit to the last man on the line.

 

While introduction of a robust and citizen centric system is important, an efficient machinery for running it is equally important. There are several examples of good systems remaining either underutilised or unutilised due to malafide intentions of the public servants concerned, who are being paid out of public exchequer for running it. While the senior officers are responsible for introducing a new system, the middle and lower level officers play the critical role in running it efficiently. This require training, motivation, close supervision, setting personal examples as well as taking action against the errand officers promptly with imposition of exemplary punishment.

 

In the 21st century with near universal literacy, awareness generate through mass and vibrant social media, it does not require elaboration to appreciate that “Corruption is like a cancer, which spread and kills the body (Society) from within”. Persons, both within and outside the government machinery, often feels that an act of corruption may not affect him/ her directly, but it has to be remembered that ugly clutches of corruption will have its impact on anyone including his/ her children/ friends / relatives anytime and anywhere.

 

Corruption is a personal matter based on perception, mind-set and one's own value system. While counselling for sensitising individuals is necessary, it is not sufficient to guarantee reduction of corruption. In a public office, “the Head of the office/ department is normally aware of the irregular practices going on below him”. Unfortunately, only a few take corrective action, and majority remain silent spectators looking the other way. The later is due to as “either he / she is a party to it, or is helpless”. Often one prefers to be indifferent for avoiding getting into a problem later or becoming unpopular with subordinates. In the later instance, it needs to be remembered that “overlooking a wrongful commission or omission makes the supervisory/ controlling officer liable for abetting it and for dereliction in duty”.

 

“Democracy has been rightly and undisputedly held as the most advanced and developed form of government”, as it provides individual citizens the opportunity and power to change during election at periodic intervals. Menace of corruption is admitted by all political parties and is often made an issue by the opposition to embarrass the party in power. However, the real challenge lies with the party in power for taking appropriate action in time, and free of any fear.

 

After adoption of the new Economic Policy (1991), outsourcing has become the new norm as a part of encouraging the private sector and rightsizing / reducing the government. Outsourcing has become handy and the channel for large scale corruption, as the recipient does not come to the picture directly and the transaction is made through a third party. In view of the scale, tackling this requires action from the top in a firm, transparent, effective and visible manner, to find out and punish the wrongdoers’ commensurating with the scale of commission. It is necessary that all those, who get caught red-handed should be investigated and tried upon by fast track court (on similar lines as crime against women) with imposition of dismissal from service under service rules as well as with penalty and imprisonment under criminal laws.

 

Judiciary and the bar has a significant role in eradicating corruption by expediting the judicial process, avoiding long and repeated adjournments and reading in between the lines, while looking for “proof beyond doubt”. It needs to be remembered that any one individually, outside the courtroom / after retirement, as well as their children can be victims of corruption.

 

Similarly the media has a role particularly in keeping the issue alive after the dust settled down, with periodic reminders till the culprit is punished adequately. They should also protect honest officers, who are often blackmailed by the corrupt on some pretext or other. Last but the most important is the common man including the readers, who should desist from paying a bribe and develop the resilience and patience to wait, try all possible means and never give up, as it affects not only him/ her, but his/ her family, state, country as well as future including his/ her children and grandchildren.

   (Tripurainfo)

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