Corruption: Permeated into all facets of India

Corruption: Permeated into all facets of India April 25, 2022 Transparency International ranked India at 85 among 180 countries in its corruption perception report released in 2021. Its ranking remained stagnant over the last decade, if not checked now and taken seriously it would go further up in due course of time It has caused serious concern over the country’s democratic status, fundamental freedom and institutional checks and balances’ decay as the report observed. India’s dubious distinction of being ranked as one of the top-most most corrupt countries in the world and the news we hear and read every day clearly shows that India is in the ascending graph. A country which is corrupt shall never grow, develop and progress. Likewise, a society which is corrupt can never be transparent and accountable. Corruption is systemic, therefore is cancerous. Corruption in India covertly and overtly operates and manifests in all facets of human activities and in the institutions of governance – polity, economy, education, religion and in all human endeavors – big or small. More importantly corruption per se instills confidence to the Indian psyche to any offence committed or any work is to be done. The offenders or the ones who wants their jobs to be done, if caught in any offence or the work to be done (public or private) can escape and works can be done. With corrupt means and methods there are ample ways to get the job done. What one requires is money. Corruption operates in big and small ways. Corruption functions in multiple ways having a number of gradations. Corrupt dealings are well-knit and highly organized. The sum of money being negotiated and transacted depends on the gravity, urgency and volume of work. The classic case that recently has happened in the State of Karnataka on an allegation that a civil contractor who had levelled bribery allegations against Karnataka minister for rural development and panchayat raj, KS Eashwarappa, was found dead in a private lodge in the coastal town of Udipi on the 12th April, 22 mornings. The preliminary probe suggests that the 40-year-old died by suicide. Santhosh K. Patil, from Hindalga in Belagavi, had also purportedly sent out WhatsApp messages to media persons, police and close friends claiming that he was committing suicide and Eashwarappa was responsible for his death and be punished for it. In his suicide note said:” I have made this decision after relegating all my dreams to a corner. To My wife and child should be supported by the Prime Minister, the chief minister, and our Lingayat leader, BS Yeddyurappa. My million thanks to media friends.” Eshwarappa denied his role in the suicide and said: “I don’t know who Santhosh Patil is …” Patil, a BJP party worker who was also part of Hindu Yuva Vahini, a Hindu youth religious group started by Yogi Adityanath, CM of UP in 2002, had earlier written to PM Narendra Modi and Union RDPR minister Giriraj Singh seeking help in getting Rs. 4 crore payment for road works in Badasa village. He also alleged that Eshwarappa had demanded a 40 percent commission from him for clearing his bill amount for roadwork completed in his village, Badasa in Belagavi district, amounting to rupees 4 crores. In the Indian politics blame games are inevitable, but the truth of the matter is Eshwarappa is a staunch RSS man and a long-time member of BJP party. Therefore, he thought he could somehow pull-on. Even CM of Karnataka Bommai said that an inquiry to this issue be ordered and based on the findings actions would be taken. Nevertheless, contractor Patil who committed suicide had already written to the big wigs of BJP such as PM Modi on the modus operandi of huge corruption involved in contracts in the BJP-ruled government. This is the bone of contention others are peripheral. Another serious flaw surfaced in this issue is huge contracts are given orally without tenders or work order by the concerned ministers and later somehow manage to set-right – violation and flouting of contractual rules and procedures. Corruption has hit the rock-bottom of the Indian society in all spheres of life. The State of Karnataka is certainly one of the top-notch corrupt states in India. Corruption thrives and blatantly visibly invisible in all transactions. For example, on the 28th of March, 22, TOI carried a report on Patil’s letter which accused Eshwarappa and his aids of demanding 40 percent commission to clear the bills. He also claimed that he met Eshwarappa 80 times, but in vain. As usual Union minister Pralhad Joshi said allegations by civil contractors’ association that they have to pay 40 percent commission to get bills cleared by the government were baseless. The recent corruption scam and the suicide of civil contractor Patil who belongs to BJP rips open the gravity of corrupt dealings in the government departments in which ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats and many others in the system are involved. The image of Modi’s BJP government and the BJP government in the State of Karnataka 40 percent corruption scandal punctured the claims of PM Modi’s vision of ‘Corruption-free India’ and the tall claims that he enjoys saying: “no zero tolerance” – to what – to corruption. BJP has leveraged corruption in all fronts of India. PM Modi said that “The work to eradicate corruption must begin from the top. It’s spread like termite in our country. We have to work at all levels to eradicate corruption.” He even said that “Based on my experience, I can say that India as country can be freed from corruption.” Is corruption BJP’s norm or ‘new normal’? In an interview with one of the contractors as well as the President of Contractors’ Association in Karnataka to NDTV openly said that it is not just 40 percent it is more, which they call it ‘cut money’. Cut money does not end in 40%, more is given to the ministers, MLA and others in the pipeline. If this is the scenario, how much would the contractors get, quality of the work carried out and so? This is why the works carried out in India by the governments’ public works like laying of roads, flyover, buildings and other infrastructure facilities and development projects and many others hardly lasts. Government of Karnataka is complicit towards corruption. Corruption has gone to the peak by having a Bribe Rate Card that clearly elucidates right from working tender application to submission to finalization of bills to receiving of the cheques there is clear indication of the percentage of bribe to be given Corruption is not only permeated in Public Works Department but in all departments such as BBMP, Health, Education, Rural Development, RTO, police, judiciary, central and state departments, banking sectors and many others. Patil’s suicide note has brought open the naked flow of corruption in all facets of life of the Indian society. BJP shall no more claim to be a clean party, but a party soaked and tainted with corruption. Instead of rooting out corruption, BJP both governments at the Centre and Karnataka and other BJP-ruled states deflect these crucial issues by indulging in polarization games such as hijab, halal, anti-conversion, loudspeakers and so on. Corruption is regressive taking India backwards and not to the levels of transparency and accountability. Dr. John Mohan Razu