• I Paid A Bribe
  • 12 years ago
  • 2764 views

Forced to pay bribe

Reported on October 25, 2012 from Bikaner , Rajasthan  ι Report #668

I went to get my international driving permit at regional transport office at Bikaner. Everybody have to come to Bikaner for IDP since only RTO office issue this in particular zone. Like all other who want to get IDP I also traveled 300 km from my hometown and took 2 days leave from job. I stayed with my friend and he suggested me to go through agents and pay bribe if I wanted IDP but I tried to play honest. I went to RTO office which was 10 km away from his home for that I took his bike. After reaching RTO office I was asked to get xerox of one form and return back the original form to office. I did the same and I was happy that I can get this work done without paying bribe, but this was the 3 hour long journey to realize that I have to pay bribe if I want my licence.
The asked me to go for medical check up to medical board which was at PBM hospital since I am a physician and I had know doubt my colleagues will help me out with medical fitness certificate. When I reached to PBM hospital it was already closing time for medical board working hours. I explained my whole situation to duty doctor and he gave me best advice to go through agents and pay the predefined fees means bribe but I was not willing. I was asked to go through all so called necessary tests eg. urine test, chest x- **********, physical examination and come next day to medical board with all the results of tests to get my fitness certificate. I requested them and explained that I could not get more than 2 days leave form hospital where I was working. Then the MO told me that this the honest way to get this job done otherwise the RTO office will reject my application based on the finding that I do not have a complete fitness certificate. Being a physician I knew how much time it is going to take for this whole procedure. But anyhow I got the fitness form signed by another doctor taking the risk of being rejected since I was not having unnecessary/optional test results with me. I wanted to save one day and thought I would come again tomorrow to get the complete fitness certificate if they reject this fitness certificate.
I went to RTO office with this certificate and they accepted it and asked me to contact the next person in **********. I went to him and he told, today is busy day come tomorrow and he will let me know what he can do for me. Things started in going same way as I was told like they will ask me to come next day then they will give a date for driving test, failing that driving test and repeating the whole procedure again. Ultimately all applicant come to the agent and pay bribe and get certificate in 1 hour.
I had enough fun, it was almost 4 o clock and did not lunch, was running to and fro from RTO to PBM. I contacted a agent and everything was done within half and hour. I am thankful to the agent that I got my driving certificate that I would have never got if I had gone through the honest way. That agent told me in his past 10 years of work he had not seen even a single person to get IDP through the honest way. The fitness certificate was not needed and it was one way to teach lesson those who do not want to pay bribe. The agent told me that there are many teaching lesson at this department if somebody does not pay bribe.

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