Poor
people are generally the worst
hit by corruption.
India's low ranking in the global Corruption Perceptions Index is
distressing, though not surprising. It has been ranked 72nd down
from
70th last year out of 163 countries in a ranking prepared by the
global corruption watchdog, Transparency International. This means that
not only is India seriously corrupt but its position is worsening
too, when compared with other countries. Bhutan, the world's youngest
democracy, is the region's least corrupt country and is ranked 41st.
The rest of South Asia hasn't done too well with Sri Lanka, Nepal and
Pakistan being ranked 96th, 135th and 140th respectively. India is
likely to draw hope from the fact that in the region it figures among
the least corrupt. But a country, which has global ambitions, needs to
compare itself with the rest of the world and here, it is a matter of
shame that it continues to remain a very corrupt country. For
decades, India's image abroad has been synonymous with corruption and
that is not changing because bribes continue to determine deals and the
speed at which files move.
What is even more distressing than the poor ranking is the fact that
India's poor are the worst hit by the rampant corruption in the
country. The study has found that the country's poor paid Rs 9.4
billion as bribes for 11 types of services, including police, health
care, revenue and education that are supposed to be free. The poor have
to grease palms of the police to have cases registered or avoid
harassment. Under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(NREGS), the government's flagship programme to alleviate rural
poverty, families are entitled to employment for 100 days per year. But
people have to pay bribes to get work or secure payment. Our economic
grammes have failed to improve the lot of the poor because of rampant
corruption.
Corruption is endemic in India. We grease palms at every stage of our
lives, from getting birth and death certificates to securing jobs, even
to get ration cards. We have accepted corruption as part of our daily
routine, as a way of life. Steps to rid the country of corruption are
unlikely to come from the government as no politician or bureaucrat
wants his life to come under a scanner. It is civil society that must
figure out ways to improve transparency and demand accountability from
the system.
http://www.deccanherald.com/CONTENT/Jul112008/editpage2008071078075.asp
