- Bribe Fighter
- 13 years ago
- 3060 views
Retribution for not paying a bribe
In 2001, we were finally given possession of land allotted by the Government after long struggle against the corrupt IAS officer, the right hand man of the then Chief Minister. The handover was done in the presence of some 20 officers- Forest Department (whose land abuts ours), Jaipur Development Authority, Tehsil and police. At the end of it the Forest Ranger told his junior to talk to me about "Paisa taka". I didnot understand exactly what was being said as my Hindi was rudimentary then.
Few days later the same Forest Ranger lodged a complaint that we had encraoched on the forest land. There was enquiry about demanding the bribe- the junior officer- a forester was transferred but nothing happened to the Ranger.
10 years on, atleast three measurements later, the case still drags on. I have to present papers, maps, go to Forest Department Courts constantly. Eventhough twice the DFO's have said, "Its quite obvious that there is no encraochment", they refuse to settle the case.
Two days ago despite the court stay on any building, sale of any of these lands, the new Forest Ranger (who also had indicated the need for a bribe elsewhere) started building a wall on our land.
I believe I was stupid to not pay a bribe and try to prevent the corrupt IAS officer take over a 17th cenury stepwell, a national treasure, who, in his capacity as the Urban Development and the Revenue Secretaary incited the community and caused to start about 65 different enquiries against me. Each one of which has taken up considerable time and money in lost earnings, employing lawyers and others to deal with all this. My whole life and those of my family has been turned upside down by making a stand against corruption. I deeply regret that I thought I could make a difference to the life of poor people in my mother country.