JOIN USKarnataka State Government Employees’ Association president L Bhyrappa on Saturday said the common man should be blamed for the spurt in corruption and not government employees.
“Bribes are even paid by people from Bijapur, Yadgir and Gulbarga, who visit Bangalore to expedite their work. We need to make them understand the constraints of a government official who has to deal with poor infrastructure,” Bhyrappa said.
Bhyrappa’s words were in sharp contrast to Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, who cited a few facts and figures from the Public Affairs Centre’s report to emphasise that large-scale corruption had pervaded the system. A survey of 571 pensioners in Karnataka on social security schemes has found that on an average, each person paid a bribe of Rs 543 for obtaining sanction letter, Rs 39 for pension and Rs 140 for life certificate.
Under the “flawed” public distribution system, Below Poverty Line (BPL) and
Antyodaya Annadana Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries were getting wheat at an average of Rs 3.16 per kg as against the prescribed Rs 2 for the BPL and Rs 3 for the AAY beneficiaries.
In the health sector, despite availability of free services for in-patients at primary health centres, a majority of the people paid an average of Rs 94.80 for treatment, Rs 90 for medicines and Rs 89.80 for tests.
Distribution of BPL and Above Poverty Level cards to ineligible people caused an annual loss of Rs 1,749 crore to the State exchequer.
He also said about 3,000 pieces of legislation in the country indirectly supported corruption.
While Justice Rao wanted justice for the common man, the association sought better infrastructure and less burden on the employees.
Rao said the State needs to develop a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, even as Bhyrappa submitted a memorandum to the government, urging it to fill the one lakh vacant posts.
The employees’ representatives also urged the government to introduce a transfer policy and do away with the present ad hoc system, where transfers happen any time of the year.
They were addressing a seminar organised by the Karnataka State Employees’ Association at Vidhana Soudha.