Assam, Most corrupt State - Assam Tribune

Assam has earned a non flattering distinction of occupying the top position among most corrupt States in the country on the basis of a survey conducted by Transparency International and Centre for Media Studies jointly during November 2007 and January 2008 on the basis of corruption in 11 vital services involving below poverty line and rural population. The survey report released recently by Hamid Ansari,Vice President of India made startling disclosure that the BPL families pay a staggering amount of Rs 9000 crore to avail these 11 vital services, narmely, PDS, hospital services, school education, electricity and water supply-termed as basic services and six need based services such as police, land records, forests, housing, banking and NREGs.One third of the BPL families could not avail PDS,school education and electricity services because they could not afford to pay bribe.Among the need based services,the Police service proved to be most corrupt earning 39 billion rupees as bribe followed by land records staff and hospital services. The study revealed in stark detail the misery of the poor, poorest of the poor,margianalised and vulnerable section of the society not benefited by 9 per cent growth of the economy creating more millionaires and billionaires in India.The Chief Minister of Assam,Tarun Gogoi in his characteristic manner remarked that if the State was most corrupt how progress was faster than other States totally ignoring the result of the survey which proved that high growth had not benefited the poorer and marginalised section of the society. It is a fact that the growth rate of Assam and per capita income have increased during his seven year tenure, but corruption has also increased manifold during the same period. He has declared that he would like a transparent and corruption free government but failed to rein in his cabinet colleagues from indulging in rampant corruption in spite of public hue and cry against those corrupt Ministers. It is a sad reflection on the Chief Minister that one of his trusted Minister is under CBI custody for offering bribe to CBI official enquiring his role into the murder of a political rival. Many files requiring prosecution sanction to corrupt officials are gathering dust in his secretariat. Plethora of agencies have been created to detect and prosecute corrupt officials but not many corrupt officials have been suspended or tried. Police salary scandal, police-land mafia nexus in Guwahati should have been firmly dealt with. But the State government is not bothered about the fates of hundreds of Kanti Rams who fell victim to land mafia and lost every thing. The Transparency International and Centre for Media Studies have recommended four pronged drive to fight corruption-simplification of procedure, streamlining of information flows, reorienting front-end staff and activating civil society group. It is high time that the government and the civil society fight corruption vigorously as computerisation, e-governance,citizen charter,RTI Act have minimal resonance for the poor and the poorest of the poor. source: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jul0408\edit

Assam ranks as ‘most corrupt’ State

NEW DELHI, June 29 – Assam has earned the dubious distinction of being the most corrupt State in the country, on the basis of corruption in 11 vital services. Corruption level was alarming in four other States, as well. The latest India Corruption Study 2007 conducted jointly by Transparency International and Centre for Media Study and released by Vice President Hamid Ansari on Saturday is embarrassing news for Assam, where corruption level was described as ‘alarming’. The four States, which follow Assam include Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The grouping of States on corruption reflects position of States in the context of eleven services. The eleven services included ‘basic services’ like PDS, hospital service, school education, electricity and water supply services and ‘need -based services’, like land records, registration, housing service, forest, NREGS, banking service and police service (traffic and crime)). The study does not include operational irregularities in the system and even corruption that does not involve citizens directly.The study covered all 31 States and Union Territories and is focused on the poorest and rural areas. It included below the poverty line people (BPL) in both rural areas and urban slums.The level of corruption in all the 11services studied in Assam and Madhya Pradesh was alarming. In Delhi and West Bengal, for example, corruption level was moderate in most services surveyed. Among smaller States of the north-east, like Nagaland and Goa, corruption level was alarming, whereas in Meghalaya and Sikkim, it was very high. In Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur the level was high, while in Tripura and Mizoram it was found to be moderate. The total bribe amount involved in a year in BPL households availing the eleven services is estimated at Rs 8,830 crore. Based on the incidence of bribe paid by sample BPL households, an estimate is made for the total amount paid as bribe by BPL households in the country during the last one-year in the eleven services. School education (up to class XII and government schools) among the 11 services studied stands last in the ranking meaning the level of corruption is the lowest among all. While police service stood number one. The land records and registration and house and plot, which are specially tailored for BPL households, stand at two and three respectively in the rank. The level and extent of corruption in police service was high in all States, as if it is universal – but the ranks of other services show variations across the States. Given the nature of need-based services, which are monopolistic or involve asset creation or volume, these services ranked high on corruption as compared to basic services.Releasing the report, the Vice president said the report brings to light the negative impact of competitive politics on targeted schemes aimed at the poor. It has reported instances of BPL, SC/ST and other vulnerable households of being told by political activists of a linkage between benefits and electoral preferences. “This, to the extent it is true, amounts to political corruption in its damaging form since it undermines the very institutions of democracy at all levels. A national consensus at its avoidance is thus imperative,” he opined.

source: assam tribune