देश

Demonetisation and digitalisation not enough

It is a million-dollar question whether the latest anti-corruption law to punish bribe-givers with a jail term of maximum seven years would reduce corruption or add fuel to the fire of corruption.

The government placing onus on bribe giver presumes that people pay bribe rather than officers concerned force people to pay bribe to get their work done. It may be hoped that it would reduce corruption as is the spirit of law. But one needs to understand that the common man who is extremely vulnerable at the hands of the authority has been made more vulnerable with the current law.

Giving a bribe is not a choice

Giving a bribe is not a choice in most circumstances but a compulsion that one needs to fulfill in order to receive legitimate approvals or sanctions from the government.

Complaints against corrupt officials are either not heard or are given a lenient view. The person making a complaint tends to suffer as he tends to spoil his case where the authority finds more deficiencies in his case and make it impossible for the person seeking sanction or approval to receive one. He is left with little choice but to bribe. In case he refuses to pay bribe to the officer concerned, the officer concerned can now make complaint against an honest citizen and the onus to prove that he is honest and has not bribed would fall on the common man.

Demonetisation not enough; need greater transparency

The law is likely to add a premium to the bribes as the risk associated with giving bribes increases. Reporting of bribes given to corrupt officials would also go unreported for the fear of a jail term. The law gives greater protection to the corrupt officials instead of protecting the vulnerable citizen.

To reduce corruption, there is need for greater transparency and accountability of service deliveries by authorities.

The government has been trying to put its best foot forward on corruption with this law, demonetisation, GST and push it to the digitalisation drive. However, little has been achieved through these initiatives. Demonetisation that aimed at curbing black money could not deliver with the entire money in circulation coming back to the banks and remonetisation has only doubled the amount of cash money that has been in circulation previous to the demonetisation phase.