The Janamahiti Report: The new information revolution
Posted on March 19, 2011
“When I applied for a NOC to the RTO, they pressurized me to pay a bribe. But I refused and they delayed the process for some time and made me visit their office again and again. Finally I got it without paying any bribe.” Judging by this bribe report, the time, energy and resources wasted on getting any service from an RTO (Regional Transport Office) office without paying a bribe seems colossal, doesn’t it? IPAB (I Paid a Bribe) imagined the collective resources we, as Indian citizens, waste in getting services due to us.
Systemic change is the only approach that could wipe our RTOs clean. As you know, I Paid a Bribe collects bribe reports from citizens. “What do you do with these reports?” is a consistent question we have had to field. In order to understand bribe patterns in the Motor Vehicles Department, Bangalore, we collated all the bribes reported on IPAB about this department between 15 August and 23 November 2010 and analysed them. The analysis enabled us to identify transactions which are most prone to corruption. We thereafter provided recommendations to the department on addressing corruption in their processes. This was compiled and published as the Janamahiti Report (Jana=people; mahiti= Information) on 23 December 2010. Following the publication of the Janamahiti, an enthusiastic Bangalore Transport Commissioner, Mr. Bhaskar Rao, invited IPAB to discuss the findings of the Janamahiti with all the RTOs in Bangalore. More about that meeting here.
According to the Janamahiti 78% of the bribes reported were stories of citizens having paid a bribe. The transaction that topped the list with the highest number of bribes reported was Issue of a Driving License with 30% reports and Rs. 24,950 paid in bribes!
| 'I Paid a Bribe' report “I wanted to get a two wheeler driving licence in 2006. I visited Jayanagar RTO to get learners licence with all the records required (Address proof, photo identity). There I was told to process learners licence and driving licence through a agent for getting it without any hassles. Else, the officials don't care about your application. I had no option...” (paid Rs. 1000) |
However, Transfer of Vehicles received the highest amount in bribes, a total of Rs. 74,123 with Jayanagar RTO emerging as the hotspot where most bribes (7) were accepted, followed closely by Koramangala and Indiaranagar. The silver lining on this grim cloud is that 14% of reporters did not have to pay a bribe to get their work done.
| 'I Did Not Have to Pay a Bribe' report “I had to transfer the registration of the vehicle which I had bought from the owner to my name. Though I had to make several visits to the KR Puram RTO office, I did not have to pay a bribe anytime.” |
Do check out our Citizen Advisory which is a simple pamphlet that:
- • Translates the Janamahiti into bite size nuggets that you can use to stand up to corruption in your day-to-day life.
• Includes information on the favourite tactics of the corrupt like-offering to get your work done for a price in case the RTO rejects your application.
• Steps that you can take to avoid paying a bribe.
It urges you not to be submissive, to do your homework and even try some Gandhigiri for kicks! On a more serious note, if you need to take a stand, filing RTIs and contacting the Lokayuktha are other options you can explore.
Corruption is in our face. It permeates the air that we breathe. The only way to overcome it is to stand up to it!
IPAB is currently working on our second Janamahiti report. This time, we are looking at the Registration department of Karnataka! Watch this space for more on the upcoming Janamahiti!