Midweek Musings 18, 8.04.2026

 

How to deal with corruption?

By Malini Shankar

Digital Discourse Foundation

We often encounter situations in India when our work, our life depends on getting a service from the State. People in India and many other countries like Japan, Koreas, Israel face cooperation from state agencies for want of a bribe. Bribery and corruption have spread across different strata of society including legislators and the not for profit and education sectors too.

But I refuse to bribe even if it means delay or loss of income for me. I have been chided by family and relatives for this uncompromising ethical snobbery and have been derided for being foolish. I mean isn’t it sad when educated erudite people occupying the top echelons of social status stoop low to bribe to get one’s work done?

In today’s blog I deal with a personal perspective of beating corruption. Since my tolerance to corruption / bribery and speed money is zero, the option does not exist for me. And I am very happy to say I have a spotless record of not having ever bribed. I have never paid a bribe for registration of anything, having a BDA plot of land allotted to me, its registration, getting sanctioned plan for my house construction, getting temporary power and sanitation connections for my house construction, getting the Occupation certificate, getting a Handicapped ID, ( in fact I refused an appointment with the district surgeon’s office and preferred to stand in line to meet the doctor in the Government hospital to get my percentage of disability assessed), my Disability pension Card Order, all of these have been accomplished without paying a bribe I am so proud to say. I once faced cancellation of a contract / Agreement signed with a government agency when they hinted at a bribe for release of budget.

But I was stumped in the last week, by an officer at the local electricity supply company when I had to apply for the “utility” – permanent power supply connection. I called him to let him know that my online application is successfully submitted online after I paid the requisite fees online. That I request him to follow up on my application and grant me the permanent power connection expeditiously as all requisite documents are submitted. He actually said and I quote him – “Madam why did you pay the fees online? You have applied for 3KV power supply that will be inadequate you should have asked me I wold have counselled you how to get the best deal if you had not paid the fees. Now you will have to apply afresh for additional power. And you have to submit a whole range of documents in hard copy through a licensed contractor with seal and signature. He will have to be paid a fee for his service”.

But how and where can we stop this cancerous development? In my opinion it starts from us. I think if one spares a little time to do research about the documentationing required, we can submit all documents at first go without it being incomplete. And if all documents are in order thee is less scope for the officer / case worker / clerk to demand a bribe. Even with all documents being place the files will not move further without a bribe. This is the cumulative impact of bribery on the non-corrupt sections of society. One must have the gumption to wait a reasonable amount of time.  If this does not work go and tell the officer in a mild, polite tone that you are documenting everything, r better still send a written reminder by registered post acknowledgment due. Two written reminders and the officials are immediately alert. In my case I tell the officers upfront on their face that I will not bribe anyone! That is because I have the confidence that my documentation is perfect. I recall a Sales Tax Commissioner once instructing his staff not to harass me for a bribe since my ‘file’ is perfect!  

I have now established contact with a licensed contractor to apply for the power supply connection and have told him that I will need a copy of his license and Aadhar Card, his home address and that I will get him to sign a sworn affidavit to be notarized where he commits in writing that he has not bribed anyone to get my power supply connection granted. The respect for and power of the written word and fear of the law still holds water in India.

In my opinion this is a sound way to beat the terror of the licensed contractors and the corrupt officials. Make a conscious decision to fall for the easy way out with bribery. You will be ding the a nation a vry big service that way.