In order to keep citizens away from the cages of corruption, DNA has 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 licence. 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 evidence.
Case 1 Compensation
City: Mathura
Department: Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government
Case study: Twenty eight years have passed but this riot victim still awaits his compensation. This is the case of a victim whose house in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) was allegedly burnt down in the 1984 riots. The then state government awarded him a compensation of Rs15,000. However, the complainant alleged that he still awaits the revised compensation which was ordered by the Nanawati Commission that probed the riots. The complainant alleged that the authorities had turned a deaf ear to his repeated pleas for justice. The complainant has since moved to Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh but that has not stopped his visits to his home state in search of justice.
Case 2 medical expenses
City: Amravati, Maharashtra
Department: Municipal Corporation, Dariyapur, Maharashtra
Case Study: Any major illness in this country can cause severe damage to your financial health. Worse, this can happen even if you are protected as a government employee. A junior clerk of municipal corporation department, Maharashtra, is allegedly fighting for the reimbursement of his medical expenses used on the treatment of his bypass surgery. He was admitted to Nagpur hospital in 2006 after he suffered a serious heart attack that cost him Rs2,99,000. He alleged that despite being eligible for reimbursement, the municipal department provided him only Rs1,50,000. Even after the district magistrate sent a request to the Municipal Corporation to release the reimbursement. However, the municipal authorities are unmoved.
Case 3 Retirement benefits
City: Pathankot, Punjab
Department Involved: Indian Army
Case Study: Getting due pension benefit appears to be among the most difficult tasks for retired people in government service. This case is about an assistant engineer with military engineer service (MES) who alleged that he was not being able to avail the full retirement benefits since his service record file had been wrongly given an adverse remark by the chief records officer. The complainant represented against the remark but without any success. "I am now in deep financial stress since my pension arrears on account of retirement benefits as well pension benefits have been wrongly denied to me," he said. The complainant retired in 2007.
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