IPaidABribe.com: A new approach to dealing with corruption

One does not have to dig deep to unearth how widespread corruption is in India. Ask people on the streets and chances are many of them will recount instances of how they were victims of a demand for a bribe, and how they often had to submit without protest. Even those who are not directly involved in giving or receiving bribes are indirectly affected by the inefficiencies and inequities that corruption generates.

All of us have strong feelings about corruption and have a broad understanding of what it means. However, the edges of bribery are quite fuzzy! Giving a tip is not considered bribery; in fact it is considered quite civilized! But if a government official demanded a ‘bakseesh’, you would certainly consider it to be a corrupt action. It is no wonder then, that India’s Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 does not specifically define the term, but describes several punishable offences that amount to acts of corruption. These fall broadly into two categories, first, taking a bribe for performing an official act and second, misusing ones official powers to secure a monetary advantage.

While corruption typically commences as isolated acts by a few freelancers such as a foul in sports, in the absence of any preventive or punitive action, it can quickly ramp up to a hyper corruption state, where the rules governing fouls breaks down, the sport played ceases to exist and corrupt syndicates operate with widespread tentacles.

A prominent authority on the subject, Robert Klitgaard believes that Corruption nearly always follows a formula;

Corruption (C)=M+D-A (Monopoly + discretion – accountability)

He feels that corruption is a crime of calculation; corruption breeds where risks are low, penalties are mild and rewards great. Make the calculation risky for the corrupt; they will move out if the system is tightened.

IPaidABribe.com is Janaagraha’s unique initiative to tackle corruption by tapping into the collective energy of citizens. The website being designed will enable citizens to report on the nature, number, pattern, types, locations and frequency of actual corrupt acts and the values of bribes.

Janaagraha will identify corruption prone services and provide guidance to citizens to resist demands for bribes by following the law and insisting upon their legal rights. For instance, services such as obtaining Birth, Death and Khata certificates from BBMP, registration of sales and providing of new connections by BBMP and BESCOM. Giving step by step details of how people can go about obtaining these services will help citizens to recognize, avoid and tackle bribe paying situations.

IPAB will also provide a space for citizens to recount instances of where they did not have to pay bribes – not all public servants are corrupt! We need to recognise these unknown heroes and heroines. And if you just want to let off steam, ‘briblog’ will give space to your random thoughts and good ideas on what we should be doing.

IPAB will depend almost entirely on peoples’ enthusiasm for its effectiveness. It is a leap of faith for all of us working on it and we look forward to exciting times ahead, on this journey. So here’s to all our readers and other well wishers! Happy bribe hunting!

-- T Raghunandan--
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Raghu is the Coordinator of I-Paid-A-Bribe programme at Janaagraha. He can be contacted at raghu@janaagraha.org