Open
Forum
New
Delhi, 9 June,
2016
India’s Humongous Corruption
GROWTH & PROSPERITY BE DAMNED
By Proloy Bagchi
Corruption
remains a major barrier to growth in India. This earth-shattering
finding was made by an unlikely organization, the World Economic Forum (WEF), a
Swiss non-profit based near Geneva.
Its mission is supposed to be "... improving the state of the world by engaging
business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global,
regional, and industry agendas".
What the Forum has
unearthed has always been known to most of us although, perhaps, we could never
pin point the extent of corruption in the country. The Forum has indicated this
in specific terms in its report “Building Foundation for Transparency” under
its Partnership Against Corruption Initiative. Choosing to look into the
sectors of real estate and infrastructure its investigators were told by Indian
protagonists that under the prevailing ‘system’ the bribes paid could be
considerable and could account for as much as 50% of the project cost or more.
The prevailing system
meant ambiguous norms for change of land use, dodgy land records and the need
for multiple clearances which compel the
project developer to pay speed money, presumably, to several individuals and/or
outfits. Besides, perhaps, rules regarding change in land use are deliberately
kept ambiguous to dole out favours by those in authority to big and influential
project developers in exchange of big money. These findings, the Forum felt,
have “strong implications for the competitiveness of the Indian markets”.
Undoubtedly, the WEF has
used the hammer lightly and preferred to look away from the reality. That
almost all State Governments are driven by the real estate and construction
lobbies is an established fact. Pertinently, the Economist had once remarked
that State Governments are sold to these lobbies either because of demands by Parties
in power or the politicians’ own venality. Indeed, real estate developers and
infrastructure contractors are the ones who are really fat cats and buy off Ministers
with their financial muscle.
In fact, State Governments
are literally led by their nose and the proof is visible in almost all cities.
Forgetting all the environmental or civic norms, buildings and complexes come
up with or without the necessary approvals. What if a project is not
approved? Money can buy the approval at
a later date. Any wonder, buildings, roads, drainage dams and everything
infrastructural are all of poor quality as money thickly line the pockets of bureaucrats
and politicians – the thickness of the lining being determined by the station
of the recipient in the Government.
This has been the
standard practice since the British days but has assumed huge proportions
post-Independence as those at the helm have been participating in the game with
increasingly greater enthusiasm. The padding of 50% or more has been forced on
the project executor because of the prevailing utter lack of ethical behaviour
all over.
The WEF findings apart,
the country’s own Union Defence Minister Manohar Parikar asserted recently that
the VVIP choppers which were procured from AugustaWestland during UPA rule for
Rs300 crores a piece should not have cost more than Rs.150 or 160 crores each.
According to Parikar kickbacks paid to various people doubled the price of the
choppers. All those reportedly mired in the scandal include the security
establishment at the highest levels, bureaucrats, a number of Air Force
officials including an Air Chief Marshal and a number of politicians of the UPA
as also Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Recall, an elaborate
charade was played out to bring the AugustaWestland helicopters within reckoning
for VVIPs to be flown to high altitude military posts. Even the parameters for
selection were revised to consider the Augusta Westland helicopters.
Shockingly, the test flight that was taken on a different helicopter in a
different country, not on the Indian heights.
True, since Independence there have
been numerous scandals involving defence deals. The jeeps scandal in 1948
totalling 18 lakhs, though trifling in comparison to the mind-boggling ones in current
times, which short-changed the Indian Army by 45 jeeps wherein only 155 were
received against 200 for which payment had been made. While Krishna Menon, the
main culprit, was made a Minister, Prime Minister Nehru brushed the matter
under the carpet.
Since then, numerous
magnum-sized defence deals were negotiated and billions of rupees eaten up by
unscrupulous politicians, bureaucrats and middlemen which could have bought
thousands of jeeps, howitzers fighter guns, planes and VVIP choppers.
Why defence? Every sphere
in governance is infested with corruption. From allocation of coal mines to
giving telecom spectrum, from holding the Commonwealth Games to even granting
approval for opening medical colleges, every sector of the Government has
somehow failed to remain untouched by corruption.
At the Central level
corrupt practices are fewer but the States are dens of corruption. So many
Chief Ministers and other Ministers have been caught with their hands in the
till. In Bihar a former Chief Minister
literally looted the State treasury as he allowed fraudulent payments from the
treasury for cattle feed for personal gains. There are rackets galore and politicians
and officials of States make merry.
Importantly, our moral
and ethical standards have plummeted so low that every Government servant, high
or low, wants to be a crorepati. Cases abound where lowest rank employees have
been found to have stashed a billion of rupees. Consequently, an aspiring
society apparently is trying to satisfy its aspirations mostly by immoral and
corrupt means and making no bones about it.
Questionably, if the
entire Governmental structure is predominantly corrupt can the country ever
prosper? Prime Minister Modi seems to be making an effort but the progress, if
at all, will be at snail’s pace – especially as States might drag him down.
Remember, once upon a
time India
was known as “Sone ki chidia”, a
“golden sparrow”, because of its immense riches. Ancient India had prosperous trade with countries in
West and South-East Asia. There was intense
interaction of people with their trading partners. Foreigners wondered at the
gold in temples and on women’s bodies. Alas, the riches attracted invaders who came
to piller and plunder.
Even Lord Clive was
astounded by the riches of Bengal’s Murshidabad which was reportedly richer
than even London.
Famed author Mark Twain too was stunned by the “land of dreams and romance,
fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, splendour and rags, of palaces and
hovels...”
Whether Muslims or British, they all came and
looted the country and took away India’s wealth. Now that the
foreigners are gone, it is our “netas”
who are doing the same. Trillions of rupees have been siphoned off by them
since Independence
in collaboration with their partners in crime. But for them and their nefarious
gangs, the country could have possibly regained the sobriquet of “Sone ki Chidia” by now! ---- INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
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