If anyone was under the impression that corruption in the State has been on the decline, the arrest of an Additional District Magistrate on corruption charges after he was caught with an envelope containing Rs 25,000 that he had just allegedly received as a bribe will make them change their opinion. This first arrest in a corruption case since the new government took office in March this year, is a stark reminder that graft has not been eliminated, and further indicates just how high in government departments corruption has spread. Over the past few years a number of government officials, many of them from the ranks of police officers, have been held for corruption and suspended, but Tuesday’s arrest of an Additional Collector is that of an officer who belongs to the top ranks in government service, and holds an office that also has quasi-judicial powers.
With this arrest, the corruption-free environment in government offices, that the Revenue Minister has been attempting to create since taking office, has taken a major hit, especially since it was an officer from his department who has been arrested for corruption. He has sought a report on the matter and will act only after the report has been prepared.
Just a few weeks earlier the same Minister had announced that every office will have CCTV cameras and these will reduce serious allegations of corruption and lethargy in completing the work. The CCTVs are to be monitored from the office of the District Collectors. In this case, an Additional District Collector has held for corruption and this should spur the government to strictly monitor all government offices and taking action against all corrupt officers, no matter what position they hold, as the ‘serious allegations’ that the minister had spoken of have actually been proved to be not mere allegations.
Corruption has been an issue much discussed and debated in the State, before every election and throughout an election campaign. It is not merely a perception or an allegation, but according to a survey by Transparency International conducted between July 2015 and January 2017, India is the most corrupt country in Asia, but there is hope that the government is making efforts to root it out. The field work in India, which involved interviews with thousands of respondents, was conducted between March 1 and April 11, 2016. While this is a pan-India survey and perception, Goa too has similar corruption issues.
The arrest of the Additional District Magistrate is an opportunity for the government to take its fight against graft forwards and prove its zero-tolerance to corruption and no-nonsense policy by deeds rather than mere statements. All eyes will now be on the government to see what action is taken in the case against the officer so that this can deter others from corrupt practices. While the law will take its course and the officer in question has already been remanded to five days in police custody, will the government also suspend the officer and begin a departmental inquiry against him? It is pertinent to note that the same officer had been under the scanner earlier too, so government action is a necessity in this case.
Simultaneously the government must move to reduce the avenues and opportunities for corruption. One way of reducing these to a certain extent is through the use of online systems so that the contact between the citizen and the government official is kept to the minimum. The introduction of online systems needs to be expedited in the State so that the opportunities of corruption are minimised. The proposal to install CCTV cameras in government offices should also be taken forward at the fastest possible so as to monitor the officials. These, if they don’t reduce corruption, will at least portray that the government is serious about weeding out the evil from the State.
