It has been more than six months since N. Divyashree (name changed) applied for change of khata at the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) after she bought a house in Banashankari 3rd Stage. Her application still remains to be processed.
The clerk, who has been demanding a bribe of Rs. 5,000, found a new way to delay the process.
All he did was to sit on the application for six months and allow the cheque to lapse. Now, Ms. Divyashree, who has to apply again, is contemplating paying the bribe through her lawyer.
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Divyashree is not the only one at the mercy of officials nor is the demand for bribe new.
But, newer ways of corruption have pervaded the administrative setup at local level, especially amongst those who have large interface with the public.
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Legal advisers and touts have become powerful mediators between the public and the corrupt officials. So much so that packages are now available for people, who just need to affix their signatures on the documents. “All the stationery, paperwork, documentation and application filing is done by the advocate's office,” said an advocate on condition of anonymity.
The package may start from as low as Rs. 50 for each year to secure encumbrance certificate in a Sub-Registrar's Office to several thousands for registration of properties, depending on the area and nature of property — residential or commercial.
Bribe packages
Citizens are offered a package, right from change of khata in the BBMP to securing water connection or power connection from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), and to get work done by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). This apart from corruption in other governmental agencies, including police and health Departments that have public interface.
“Multiplicity of agencies, paucity of time and cumbersome procedures, sometimes requiring legal help, have all made the advocate an important ally. It is especially true while matters pertain to Sub-Registrar's Office, BDA or BBMP. As the advocate would have developed his or her own contacts in the public office, work gets done faster,” said another advocate.
Public's collusion
Corruption at lower levels, what has come to be called as retail corruption, is also due to the voluntary collusion of the public to get on with the work, says Samuel Paul, Founder of the Public Affairs Committee (PAC).
Such collusion is endemic when citizens approach government offices without proper documents or try to short-cut the procedures. “Bribe has gained the colour of custom like devotees placing an offering in the hundi at a temple. People believe that it is a parallel tax,” said S. Sriranga, a Supreme Court advocate.
On the other hand, people also do not want to resist it, he pointed out, adding: “Even if the advocate advises a client to fight, people don't want to file a case. Worse, they may not even come back.”
For those with whose records are in order but have to endure delay, it can be a demoralising exercise, particularly as many agencies do not have an institutionalised grievance redressal mechanism. These include the Sub-Registrar's Office, BBMP, government hospitals and others.
To an extent, the adalats at the Transport Department, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bangalore Development Authority and Janaspandana programme in the Police Department have mitigated public frustration with the system. But alas! they are too few and far between.