Corruption and role of Citizens

As per the preamble of the constitution of India people are the Supreme Authority in democracy. As the people or the citizens are electing the representative of constitutional authority to govern state and the nation.

By the constitution of India fundamental rights are provided to the citizens of India. Simultaneously by the 42nd constitutional amendment fundamental duties are also imposed on the citizens which provides to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom, to develop the scientific temper, humanity and the spirit of inquiry of reform and to strive towards excellence in all spheres individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavor and achievement.

Even by the parliament freedom of information act has also been enacted in May 2003 for the citizens.

Looking to the above provisions if citizens are aware of the rights given to them by the parliament, equally they are supposed to be conscious towards their duties also.

In a governance where executive, judiciary and parliamentary systems in general and pyramid type of linier administrative hierarchy are prevalent obviously myriad administrative control, bureaucracy, and red tapisam will also be there as has been observe in our country.

Under these circumstances it is the common citizen who is the ultimate sufferer. If citizens are insisting for complete information regarding the services they have to avail from the administration, if they strictly adheres to the provisions made there in and remain aware of time bound services with transparency most of the evils in public administration can be curbed. unfortunately that has not been fulfilled by the citizens and up to that extent certainly one can come to the conclusion that citizens are equally responsible for corruption.

As experienced and observed from the trend, propensity and psychology of the citizens turning over at various public offices generally the kind of citizens & impact of their behavior in public service & on society may be categorized & described as follow.

1/ Who never bothered to visit office concerned but used to get the public service through middleman or agent. these are the citizens who believes in optimum utilization of their time for their business or profession, calculating the economic benefit of time likely to be consumed in public office against likely benefit of it in own profession or business. they have literally commercialize even civic services also. Thus agents are getting their work with some consideration. In the world of high competition where the world has turned in to a hamlet this system will obviously be preferred & welcome by the society but the risk is the agents or middleman are alluring the service provider staff to treat them in priority compared to others. This wills certainly EXXEGRATE THE CORRUPTION.
2/ who instead of visiting the public office rather relying solely on democratic representatives to en cash their power or authority due to their either relations or other way. These type of people are vulnerable to the society as that is going to create the nexus between executive & politics, in one or other way, increasing the interference of political personalities in day to day administration which is certainly not healthy practice. Also due to that public servants will be tempted to resort corruptive practices.

3/ Who visits themselves for their work but prefer to handed over such task to the employee or officer concerned. These are the people thinking that rather than coming frequently and wasting time & money why with little money we should not get it done? Then intention of these people is to get work without difficulties but in saving their time & money they are making staff cupid & avaricious, who latter on used to it. Which certainly results in corrupt society.

4/ Visits & completing related formalities to avail the respective services themselves as directed or guided by the staff concerned but never question them or ask for further information even if they think the direction or guidance given is improper, in sufficient or misleading. Such people never tries to know the time stipulated to dispose off the application, instead of it they visit the office frequently, until the disposal without arguing or questioning the delay, or dilly dallying. These are the most sufferer people as they never resist against injustice meted out to them, or for not getting their rights fulfilled. Of course they themselves are responsible for it, remaining mere spectator of their exploitation & suffering. Which surely encourage the corruptive staff to carry on, as none is to challenge their autocratic style of functioning? Thus these people are also said to be responsible for corrupting the society.

5/ Citizens even though of well aware of the provisions legality & limitations of law & rules, insisting to get the work done or to avail the services out of way or out of turn. This is the highly vulnerable class of society for resorting not only corruptive but also manipulative illegal practices, which ultimately results in dangerous consequences, remaining not limited to corrupt society but demoralized, characterless and vitiated society in all spheres of life.

6/ Visit themselves, getting complete information relating to the service concerned, making themselves aware of the rules & regulations pertains to it including the time stipulated to disposed of for it, completes the formalities at office it self & insisting time bound transparent services. This is the class of people to be highly appreciated but as seen above compares to all other class, they are in minority so it never gives results that much effectively.
Corruption & the role of society. Is corruption part of life?
Only the way & mean to curb is to legalize it?
Family life-
families, but more & more independent families. No life ideals, ethics, morals, No senior citizens to guide the path of life, to prevent from wrong doing, to indicate the act not permissible by the conscience. Under same shelter economy is being maintained in means of livelihood, as the family experience is being shared by all earning members, thus more facilities, more luxury with per capita less expenditure is enjoyed, which results in less envy/ jealousy of neighbors & surroundings thus lessen the chances of corruption. Against this independent family occurs more operating cost, which forced to fetch more amount to maintain the same living standard. Ultimately where the known sources of income do not permit allure & compel the bread earner to raise beyond it results in corruption. Craving for parallel or equal facilities as of friends/relatives/colleague or subordinate increases the economic burden on the family head also results in corruption to meet both ends for enhanced expenditure. Pompous / ostentation print & electronic media advertisements & hire purchase/ hypothecated purchases plays pivotal role in creating debt/increasing it & to repay the same corruption is being generated. More social /customary transactions/ transportation, traveling expenditures, holiday spending adds fire to fuel. Expensive school education, private coaching, no uniformity in school kits & appliances, school college tour trends, lacking of school/ mass transportation facilities, even increases the burden. To overcome these at least minimum standard may be decided, may be provided uniformly by schools/ student's consumer co.-operative stores. Short distance educational tour, well in advance may be announced by the schools/ colleges, the cost of, which may be included in tuition fees.
So far as private coaching are concerned all the income earned by them goes mostly unaccounted, they may be forced to do the same in the school premises it self by the experts the fees of that may be decided by special committee, keeping it optional for students. This will serve multi purpose, fetching more money by way of taxation to government.
Institutional/ Government policy
Transparency & awareness of requisite information on the part of citizen/ applicants are most important factors to curb the corruption
Misleading rules, distorted interpretation ambiguous policies or provisions are instruments of it. Close circuit camera, more & more computerization & use of more electronics gadgets will certainly ease this problem.
Government’s salary policy is also one of the important factors to increase the corruption.
When inflation rate is around more than 5%, even though if the arrears of salary or dearness allowance is not given. Or if given not for entire period, certainly the tendency to compensate the same may develop amongst employees.
The Policy of govt. to compel the employee to invest at least 50% of their gross salary to save income tax is also another prime factor to increase the corruption. e.g. employee having 20000/ p.m. gross salary, out of which Rs.2000/ compulsory monthly deduction from salary, to escape income tax he will have to invest Rs. hundred thousand to save 20000/ income tax. Though rest 10000/ he will have to pay as income tax during the year. This is self explanatory how one family can have means of lively hood in less than 8000/- Rs. p.m. including two children education, tuition fee transportation, & body wear?
Even though of government policy of transferring every employee at the interval of three to five years from one post / department to another it has never been strictly implemented, or where ever it has under the guise of short transfer from same post in another name or with the same designation but on loan service or within very short span they manage to come back with the grace of godfather either political or official. To overcome this errant officer responsible to do transfer, be subject to disciplinary action, first of all shifting such immediately from current position.
Service not transferred or if transferred placed on the same kind 0of posting or similar department? If placed in other department within 1 to 2 years have they been reverted? How many of them is having stigma on the career? How many on such creamy postings are on loan service or deputation? & How many are without possessing requisite qualification & recruitment procedure? The reasons of the same. Otherwise than their long ining posting whether they have remain on duty or enjoyed leave in other departments? On the answers of above the errant officer to enjoy the powers to transfer will also be caught. How many selections have been made without competitive exams under open merit & without neutral impartial experts on committee i.e. without merit criteria?
Vigilance & inspection is important instrument to curb corruption if reviewed it's functioning, during the tenure of head of vigilance how many cases they have traced of irregularities or malpractice's on own? How many on public complaints? Have they gathered complete evidences or kept loopholes in gathering? Had he been successful in proving on prosecution side? Was the investigation limited to particular dept or stereotype? How many cases are of innovative evasive in tune with changing time? Had he reviewed the past such cases non recurrence?
Inquiry- how many errant have been punished in proportion to their offence, omissions, commissions? Or disposed off with pittance punishment?
On the basis of above it will be self explanatory on the part of any body to assess the commitment of the department / office concerned to curb corruption. In majority cases nexus of each other will be conspicuous if evaluated by cross-office team of officers rather than departmental. I.e. Government/ panchayats / local bodies/autonomous bodies/corporations etc. even the same should be applied to much publicized recent right to information bill on the points- how many are coming forward to avail info? Whether authorities have made adequate arrangement to make aware public in this regard? Are people encouraged motivated & guided to access? or kept bereaved, thrown on the mercy of babudom, in red-tapist culture? How many are shielding each other to escape penultimate provision? Fact will reveal forgone conclusion.
Under these circumstances the most sufferer is rare available class of honest & integrated employees. As they are facing worst critical situation, being isolated by all, their situation is like neither tolerate, nor can do any thing. This class to whom none in the existing environment prefer in the culture. They are the people brilliant, deserving 7 good administrator but deliberately they have been thrown in corner. Resultantly turned frustrated one, loosing the rest faith in morals & ethics.

Summarizing the description, if the last category of people will be given due recognition & inspired to continue their agitation and struggle to fight the corruption along with the exceptional honest & integrated staff still in service, maintaining ethics & morale who indeed deserves to be recognized in true letter and spirit, to act as moral booster of all class & category of society, to make committed efforts to change the mentality of the society and people at large, to insist the time bound services with transparency, exercising their rights with the consciousness of performing their duties also simultaneously, as stated in the preamble. I am sure the transformation of the corrupt society in to ideal one is not far away.