[Originally written on 20 November 2006]
In what is a ritual for our leaders, we had the President and the Prime Minister paying lip service to the cause of eradicating corruption on two consecutive days. The customary occasion was the 16th biennial conference of the CBI and the Anti-Corruption Bureaux of various states held in New Delhi on November 16 & 17, 2006. It is besides the issue that both these leaders are widely perceived to be men of integrity.
Meanwhile, corruption continues to exist unabated at all levels in the administration. For, words will not do the trick where action is needed. We always hear of grand plans and announcements. But little action follows. And, this little action is also not implemented fully in letter and in spirit.
Consider this rough calculation. The number of public servants in India, including the Government servants under the Centre and the States as well as other categories of public servants (such as those working under PSUs, autonomous bodies, Universities, etc.), may well be in the range of about 20 million. Keeping in view the ubiquitous corruption, we can safely presume that at least about 10% of them (though the public perception may be 90%) may be indulging in one or other sort of corruption. So, we have the number of 2 million. Now, presume that every such corrupt public servant indulges in one corruption transaction per month on an average (though one can see many public servants indulging in tens of transactions each day!), so we have 12 transactions per year per such person. Thus, the total number of such transactions may be about 24 million corrupt transactions per year. Now, compare it with the fact that as per NCRB figures, in the year 2005, a total of only 3008 corruption-related cases were registered all over India. A total of 3008 cases from out of a potential 24 million corruption transactions! And, this figure of 24 million itself may be a gross under-estimation! Where do we stand, Dr Singh?
Next, consider the fate of these small number of registered cases. As against the annual registration of 3008 cases, as per NCRB figures, a total of 14830 cases were pending trial at the end of 2005 (and, this number is increasing year after year). There are many cases pending for over 5 years, 10 years or even 20 years! More than 54 years after we introduced in 1952 the system of Special Courts to ensure speedy trial of corruption cases, the trial of such cases continues to be as tardy as any other type of cases. Governments have failed to understand that a mere change of nomenclature of a Court cannot expedite the trial. What we require is the sufficient number of new courts, and not merely renaming of the existing courts as Special Court. In fact, now it has become a fashion to have Special Courts for all types of cases, be it TADA cases, MCOCA cases, investor-related cases, SC/ST related cases, or narcotics cases, etc. But, instead of setting up new courts, the existing courts are re-designated on exclusive or non-exclusive basis. With judge-to-population ratio of only about 12 judges to one million in the year 2005, which is just a small fraction of what it is in other countries, trials are bound to be delayed. And, with delay in trials, it becomes more difficult to secure conviction of corrupt public servants, as witnesses may disappear, might have died, might have been won over with passage of time, their memory may fade, and many other similar reasons. Governments just seem to be blind to such delay, like the goddess of justice – beautiful but blind.
Want to know about conviction figures? Well, in the year 2005, only 651 corruption-related cases ended in conviction out of a total of 2048 cases decided. We do not have figures about convictions after decision in appeal in such cases. A country of 1.1 billion people, perceived to be one of most corrupt countries, has a total of 651 convictions in a year in corruption-related cases!
In the 2006 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, India ranks a lowly 74 (well, a combined 70th rank), having scored just 3.3 points on a scale of 10.
Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had once remarked that 85% of public money spent on development lands in private pockets, courtesy corruption. This means that just 15% money actually reaches the targeted expenditure. Means that we could have had seven schools in place of existing one, seven hospitals in place of existing one, seven roads in place of existing one, and so on and so forth; but for corruption. Can you fathom the ill-effects of corruption, direct or indirect, better than this?
During the 11th Plan, the Planning Commission estimates speak of about Rs. 10 trillion (10 lakh crore) to be spent on development work. How much of this will reach private pockets, courtesy widespread corruption, is anybody’s guess. But the Governments will not bother to eradicate corruption even if this whole money goes down the drain. What is the use of spending such huge money for development when it cannot deliver the intended results? Who are the Governments working for? Private pockets or public at large?
Government approach to corruption becomes clear from the fact that several persons who are widely perceived to be corrupt, because of pending cases or otherwise, are enjoying ministerial benefits with impunity. Should we say, “Corruption begins at home” (sorry for the word “charity”)! Government apathy also becomes clear from the fact that when it comes to grant of sanction for prosecution in corruption cases involving senior level officers, it is many a time refused, while sanction against low-level Government servant is usually granted.
Does anybody remember the history of last about 37 years or so of the Lokpal bill?
No doubt, measures like Right to Information Act and the e-Governance (e.g., availability of land records, court judgments, etc., on Internet or through information kiosks; or e-filing of documents in Customs department and Company matters) have been useful anti-corruption exercises besides bringing transparency to the administration. But, all this is nothing more than the proverbial tip of the iceberg. The tentacles of corruption are too omnipresent. What else can explain the fact that the World Bank has rated India at 134th place from out of 175 countries in terms of ease of doing business? Does it not mean too much of bureaucratic hurdles and the consequent corruption? Delay is an inherent part of any Indian Government department. Does delay not breed corruption? What about dismal performance in education, health, sanitation, social and physical infrastructure? What about Government figures of 22% poverty even 60 years after independence? After Government spending of huge monies, subsidies – year after year? What about defence purchases? What about DRDO? What about Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes? If all these are not the indicators of widespread corruption, then what these are?
It is high time that Governments in India, in Centre and States, translate words into real action. Otherwise, if we don’t finish corruption, it will gobble us up.
