Prevention of corruption

​The need for a mature and balanced approach

Good governance has, for several decades, figured high on the agenda of the National and State Governments in our country. Corruption, nepotism, leakages and incompetence are among the many scourges that have tainted the image of, and adversely affected, the performance of the administrations at various levels. As always, the worst sufferers have been the public at large - especially the poor and the excluded sections thereof.

It is not my intention here to discuss different aspects of the malaise of corruption-its causes, the common forms in which it presents itself, or the most effective methods of containing it. The point I wish to make is that, in its essential form, the malaise is the reflection of generic weaknesses germane to the socio-economic structure and the set of rewards/punishments established by that structure.

I was the sub-collector of Ongole revenue division in Prakasam district of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state in 1971.There was a prolonged dry spell causing acute distress to the agriculture sector, especially the agricultural labour and small/marginal farmers. As a measure of succour to the affected people the government announced the grant of distress taccavi loans (as they were then known in those parts) – which were essentially consumption loans meant to mitigate the suffering caused loss of livelihoods on account of drought conditions.

In order to eliminate possible malpractices by the officials at the village, firka (group of villages) and taluka levels, the government instructed the revenue divisional officers to undertake disbursement of the loans in person. I accordingly carried cash and distributed Rs. 50/- each to 300 beneficiaries in one village.

Upon my return to headquarters late in the evening I received a message that, after my departure from the village, the beneficiaries queued up in front of the residences of the village officers and voluntarily paid them Rs. 5/- per head. I was naturally furious.

Upon mature reflection, however, I realized that the residents of the village needed to maintain harmony in their relationship with the village officers who were a permanent part of the socio-economic structure of the village. I, as the divisional officer, was perceived as a one-off and short lived external intervention. Also, there was neither a demand for the sum the beneficiaries parted with nor was any favour promised or done in return.

I could have booked criminal cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act against those who paid the money as well as the village officers. I desisted however, as such a step would, in the circumstances, be seen as an overreaction not serving any significant purpose.

A sense of proportion and balance needs to inform the approach to corruption. While it ought not to be countenanced in any form or degree, it is easy to miss the wood for the trees if one lacks the ability to ignore the trivial. As I have discussed elsewhere in this book, preoccupation with what can be ignored can adversely impact on the time and energy available to address larger issues.