• I Paid A Bribe
  • 14 years ago
  • 2217 views

Incorrigible!

Reported on September 24, 2010 from Bangalore , Karnataka  ι Report #30782

Friends

I am married for last 10 years and am a native of Bangalore. Usually, thru glib and guile, i get my work done most of the places.

After 10 years of being married, we had to register our marriage for some statutory requirement. I had earlier gone and picked up the form and the list of documents i had to take.

This clerk who was responsible to collect and verify all the documents, and do the necessary background work, was the most sweetest chap available. He infact recognized us and welcomed us and the works.... he finished the documentation, took us to the boss - Sr Sub Registrar and got his initials. Post this, he gave the papers to a data entry operator lady (usually a contract employee.. you will see them nowadays in many govt. offices including Bangalore One centers), asked us to verify once she types, for spell checks, dates, address etc.. and then said "hudugi gey swalpa enadru **********" meaning please give something to the girl. I told my wife maybe these contract employees are their collection agents, considering all the Lok Ayukta raids and all... after the certificate was prepared, the file went back to the clerk and he made necessary entries in a register, asked us to sign and got up.. we went behind him. He pointed us to another desk and asked us to give 500 to that person, and mumbled something. I looked at my wife, and she said its the official fees for marriage certificate. Its on the notie board. I dint get a receipt..... we got the document and walked out.... he came behind us and asked "something for me, sir and madam". I told him we gave something to the girl.. he said no thats for her.I handed him something more.... it was not an usual demand with a grumpy face and "i wont move if you dont pay " attitude... we just paid and moved on. Few points

- Yes i paid 300 as bribe for a job whose official charges is 500, or which i dint get a receipt. I am not sure i should believe that this 500 reached the govt. treasury.
- He asked and took money from us right there, in front of 50 other people....
- Why do government employees work only from 10.30 AM to 5.00 PM, not to mention their 1 hour lunches and coffee breaks. I doubt if they work more than 5 hours a day. This is their official working hours, not public transaction hours, unlike public sector banks where they close the doors and do their accounting/back office jobs.
- For items like forms for various procedures and empty stamp paper (costs Rs. 2, on which the reqired denomination is franked) which are supposed to be sold/distributed inside the premises, agents and touts sit on stools and makeshift shops and sell the same at a premium? I paid Rs 4 for a Rs 2 paper, plus Rs. 1, for a half page photocopied application form, which you are supposed to fill and give along with the blank stamp paper. The govt charges 10% aditional to the stamp paper value as processing charges, which is anyway there.

I think the questions are apparent. When and how can we stop these things ? We earlier said govt employees take bribes because they are underpaid. I dont think thats the case anymore with 6th pay comission and all... for the number of hours they work, i think they are paid far higher than private sector, if you make unit comparison.

What is your reaction after reading this report?