A big danger to smooth governance looms large in the country with pervasive corruption across various walks of life.
A big danger to smooth governance looms large in the country with pervasive corruption across various walks of life. In order to keep citizens away from the cages of corruption, DNA initiated its anti corruption campaign - ‘Grounding the corrupt’. The exhilarating response of our readers to this anti-graft campaign has reinforced the cause the campaign aims to serve.
Citizens from all parts of the country are writing to DNA about their brush with corruption and red tape. This series highlights day-to-day corruption woes of ordinary citizens. It includes corruption involved in procuring basic tools like a ration card, passport or a driving license. This might well include corruption involved in either getting a birth or death certificate. The communication might also include a case of either a delayed or rejected income tax refund as also an insurance claim denied by the public sector insurer.
To widen the scope you may also send us corruption or red tape episodes spanning small, medium and big business. DNA would ensure your identity is protected so long you present a genuine case backed by documentary evidence. Each case would be scrutinized for its veracity.
Case 1: Police Apathy
City: Bangaluru
Name: Withheld
Department Concerned: Police Department
Case Study: This is the case of an elderly woman who is fighting to save her children against the atrocities of police. The complainant has alleged, “On 29th Feb 2012, few men barged into my house when I was alone and they had a warrant against my husband. When I asked them to furnish the details of the search and arrest warrant and their identity, they used filthy language and abused me. They were neither in uniform nor did they show their identity. They then beat my son brutally and charged my daughter under section 341,323,332,363,504,506 B of IPC,” the complainant further alleged. She along with her daughter wrote to the president of Advocate Association and commissioner of police on 1st March 2012 but have yet to receive any response. The family has alleged the police was harassing them over a property issue involving their relatives.
Case 2: Good work, harsh reward
City: Pune
Name: Withheld
Department Concerned: Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC)
Case Study: In this case, a government official was transferred after being charged allegedly under “wrong allegations”. As alleged by the complainant, he was finally removed from his job for being honest and having opposed “corrupt practices in the department”. “I had found a mistake in the reimbursement sheet of the managing director as he bought his wife’s garments with the official money. Because of this issue I was posted at the Gateway counter where in the history of the organisation no senior manager was posted,” the complainant alleged. “My non indulgences in the department’s corrupt activities have made me undergo a lot of mental harassment and I was being charge sheeted and two inquiries were also conducted by the inquiry officer,” charged the complainant. His quest to get justice via the RTI route too “failed”.
Case 3: Denial of safe water
City: Delhi
Name: Withheld
Department Concerned: Delhi Jal Board
Case Study: This story is about the residents of 200 houses in Narang Colony, Delhi who are suffering from serious health concerns allegedly due to continuous supply of contaminated water by Delhi Jal Board. The residents of Narang colony wrote many letters to the concerned politicians including Kapil Sibal but in vain. Facing numerous health problems a resident said, “All my family members are suffering from diarrhoea and doctors keep suggesting to change the water sources which we are using or else we can never be cured.” Several resident representations have not yielded any result. Residents’ alleged rampant corruption in Delhi Jal Board for it had “washed off” its responsibility arguing that individual connections were responsible for the contamination. The chief minister of Delhi has promised to look into it even as residents continue to live with contaminated water.
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