By Desaraju Surya
AMARAVATI: Bribery has apparently become an accepted norm in the Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh administration.
Be it distribution of social security pensions under the NTR Bharosa scheme, registration of marriages under different laws, survey of land, delivery of pattadar passbook (land document), sale of essential commodities under the Public Distribution System, delivery of cooking gas under a freebie scheme, supply of fertilisers and other farm inputs, services in government hospitals…bribery is all pervasive.
In the numerous “Positive Public Perception” surveys being conducted periodically by the state government through various means (IVRS phone calls, WhatsApp, QR code and fixed telephone line) citizens have been consistently complaining about corruption, ranging from 15 per cent to 38 per cent in delivery of different services.
Yet, the government is not ready to crack the whip and check corruption in its ranks.
Instead, it has asked the authorities concerned to let the corrupt staff off by “just counselling”!
In fact, even upright bureaucrats have, for some time now, started turning a blind eye to the corrupt deeds of staff under their command because “when the powers that be at the top are brazenly plundering hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees in nefarious deals, why penalise these small staff for taking measly amounts?”
That argument sounded logical.
In the latest Positive Public Perception survey, which the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the other day, the report said 15 per cent of beneficiaries under NTR Bharosa pensions scheme complained of having to pay a bribe to get the benefit. The 15 per cent is a cumulative average of the last six months.
Going by this, the amount of bribes the beneficiaries across the state paid could have ranged between Rs 113.40 crore and Rs 170.10 crore in six months.
In the case of Hindu Marriage Registration and Special Marriage Registration, 38.40 per cent people, who were surveyed on May 4, complained of corruption during the registration process.
Also, 33.03 per cent complained the same in the case of general (property) documents registration process.
In the government housing scheme, 28.98 per cent beneficiaries reported that they had to pay a bribe for getting their housing bills sanctioned.
Since January this year, 24.6 per cent of citizens said they were asked to pay ‘extra’ amount (meaning bribe) while applying for their pattadar passbook.
Another 22.5 per cent complained of bribery while applying for survey of their land.
In addition, complaints are also mounting over the bad behaviour of the revenue staff. While a total of 7,856 complaints were made against the staff behaviour from February to May, 2292 of the staffers had more than five complaints against them, indicating the errant functioning.
District Collectors, however, have a different take on this.
One Collector noted that “not all (PPP) data is reliable.”
“We told the government that the data is not correct,” the Collector said.
Yet, the government seems to be solely relying on the same data and claiming that “people’s satisfaction levels are increasing”!