Posted by Pulkit mohan singla
why government officials take bribe ?
Well everyone in India is talking about corruption. Frequent scandals and scams conducted by the ministers have created a sense of anger and revolt among people. The people are helpless and they know that things are not in there hands. They don’t know whom should they approach but still they hope for the best. Well everyone is blaming and shouting and crying but no body is shouting for the solution. Well nobody has guts to talk to the government or file any case against the corruption done by the ministers. Well the ministers are carefree; they know that no body can do anything as the absolute power corrupts absolutely. Well it’s a chain of corruption from top management to lower management the hard-earned money of the people is distributed for personal leisure and pleasure. Well every one has excuse for the corruption. Current Politicians excuse is that the ex politicians had eaten loads of money then why we will deny our chance? The Government servants excuse is that our leaders are eating loads of money then why cant we enjoy some portion of it? The people’s excuse that the political leaders and the government servants are eating our money which we pay in the form of taxes then why should we pay taxes? Well every one is connected to one problem and that is money.
But the question is why they are doing corruption?
Well everyone will say it’s because of greed but sometimes the situation is different. Well not every one enjoys begging for bribe but the circumstances compel people to do that.
I know there are millions who enjoy corruption as there lust for money will never end but don’t forget that we also have people who prefer there self respect above any type of corruption.
Well let me introduce one crucial point which will change your thinking towards the current situation. Well being alert and against towards corruption is good but being totally partial is wrong. We all blame politicians and government servants for corruption without noticing our own actions. We are equally responsible for the present situation.
You must have been to government offices like sales tax office or excise office or customs office or income tax or to ICD and other various government buildings where government officials and government servants work. Well if you have not visited there just do visit there once and carefully examine the buildings, there architecture, there style, there porch, there indoor offices, there waiting lounge, just watch everything carefully. Now Go to any multinational company or to any private office and watch and examine the same things you did in government offices.
What you have seen? I know there is some difference. I guess you are smart enough that you have noticed that carefully. Well the working area given to government officials is awful. The buildings are in decaying state, there is no proper place and cabins given to them. There rooms are cropped up with files scattered every where, there is no proper refreshment facility, the bathrooms given to them has no maintenance, there is no privacy to them for discussion and meetings, there is no proper facility of sitting to visitors, there is no proper facility which can provide water or any refreshment to visitors, The under qualified and lack of qualified staff creates problems for people who visit frequently for there work. There is shortage of parking as many government offices are old and there is no amendment.
Well not only this pay scale of government officials and government servants is worse and lower than private sector. From top management to lower management the pay scale is really average which is not satisfactory and justified according to the today’s lifestyle. Different Government servants of different posts have similar pay scales with hardly any big difference. No government official who is on top post like commissioner or superintendent or assistant commissioner has pay scale in lakhs on the other hand in the private sector a normal airhostess gets minimum 1 lakh per month or any manager or marketing person who is new in the industry gets good pay scale.
Well we always forget that the people who are appointed in government jobs are also humans; they too have families and expenses. They too want leisure and enjoyment. They cannot live a life of sacrifice if they have chosen government job as the carrier.
Surprisingly government servants do incredible jobs in there posts which benefit the country and the people but still there are no big rewards or any bonuses given to them.
Besides continuous reminders the government is sleeping, they have only one excuse that the national treasure and government treasure is empty. Well every one has some expectations, working on such top and respectable posts and getting salary compared to any lower class laymen is strictly annoying. This is also one of the crucial reasons for taking bribe as the government job is not able to fulfill there financial needs.
But are they alone at fault?
Well every year millions of travelers and visitors do not pay there custom duty. They can easily spend lakhs and crores on imported stuff like branded clothes, watches and cars but they cannot pay the duty imposed by the government. To save themselves from paying duty they offer bribe to the custom officers. Well these people later on blame the government servants for taking bribe but they forget there actions, if they pay there duty adequately then there is no need of giving bribe.
Moreover millions of industries and corporate enterprises hire the most intellectual charted accountants and company secretaries to save loads of money and commodities which are taxable. They do not pay there taxes completely and even claim unrealistically on different import and export items. Moreover there unfair manipulations in accounts creates a situation of betrayal and corruption and in order to hide this they offer bribe to the government servants who work in the departments of income tax or excise or sales tax.
Well everybody wants to serve there country and the government jobs are the most easiest ways to serve the country and its people but how can the government servants provide comfort to the public when they are living in uncomfortable working conditions.
Well we all are humans and besides greed and jealousy we all have some self-esteem and some respect for our self. We all want to live with dignity and pride. No body wants to hear something negative regarding his /her working and criticism is seriously annoying but the unchangeable phases creates the feeling of revenge and hatred.
The person who is earning a good pay will never beg for small amount in front of so many people but the helpless and pathetic state compels these government officials to beg for very rare and small bribe.
If the government will focus on the welfare of its servants then defiantly there would be some improvement. Its easy to blame everyone but far more difficult to look out for reasons .Well it’s a start and we have to find more reasons which gives birth to corruption , instead of blaming and barking its time to kill the helpless and pathetic situations and phases which compels human beings to kill there own self respect .