Man sends 'bribe' by DD; stuns municipal authorities

 Vexed over the delay in getting a birth certificate, a man here hit upon a bizarre idea of sending a demand draft for Rs 100 towards bribe to the localbody, stunning the authorities who made amends for the lapse and home delivered the document.

Rattled on receiving the DD and the accompanying note which mentioned it as bribe amount, Municipality Commissioner Sermakani swung into action, reprimanded concerned officials and asked them to deliver the birth certificate at the home of the applicant, an auditor.

An official inquiry had been ordered into the incident by Municipal Administration department, officials said.

Palanisamy, a resident of the town, took the step inspired by a banner put up here by the local Congress unit mentioning the "bribe" amount required to be paid for getting things done in the municipality as part of its campaign against alleged corruption in the localbody.

He told reporters today that his son, who got a job in a multi-national company, wanted his birth certificate and he applied for it on May 15 last paying the required fee of Rs 55. The certificate should be given within seven days. But he did not receive it even after 15 days.

Meanwhile he saw the Congress banner and drew a draft for Rs.100 on June 9 and sent it to the Municipal Commissioner with a copy of the letter to District Collector M Balaji.

Officials of the municipality, including Health officer Baskaran and Chairperson Shanthi met him and pacified him and gave the certificate yesterday, authorities said.