Revenue retains ‘most corrupt’ title

The state’s Revenue Department is the most corrupt agency within the state government, according to the latest figures submitted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Incidentally, the department had also topped the list in 2005.

As of September, there were 68 Revenue officials booked for various bribery charges. The most recent arrests came when two officials from the department were nabbed for allegedly siphoning off funds meant for victims of the 26/7 deluge. After the Revenue Department, ACB has cited the Mumbai police as the second most corrupt in the state, with 53 of its personnel behind bars on bribery charges.

“Generally, cases where officers are arrested for bribery come from the lower level of the hierarchy,” says a senior police officer, on condition of anonymity. “The state needs to undertake an orientation drive to discourage recruits from engaging in corrupt acts. Greed is the primary reason why corruption and bribery thrives.” This year, the ACB booked three police officers in a disproportionate assets’ (DPA) case, and two each from the Agriculture and Forest department. 

“Most people believe that the system can work only by greasing the palms,” says a top ACB official. “These figures are just the tip of the iceberg.”