This refers to the article, “The integrity pledge” (November 12). Over the decades, helpless public got inured to the canker of corruption, leading to propositions like ‘relax, it's a global phenomenon’, ‘let's rationalise corruption’ etc. N Vittal, former Central Vigilance Commissioner, recounts, “I remember my visit to Thailand in 1994, where in Bangkok, I was told that there was corruption in Thailand as well as in India. In Thailand there was honest corruption but in India there was dishonest corruption. What they meant was that in Thailand there was a bribe to be paid for every action and when the bribe was paid, the work was done. If the work was not done, the bribe would be returned. In India when you pay the bribe, one is not sure if the work would be done and if the work is not done, the bribe is also not returned. Hence, our corruption was dishonest corruption.” Well, isn't this true even todayIJ
Forget about the various scams, money that is meant even for god (temple endowments) is being misappropriated with little fear. The case of former bureaucrat GV Ramakrishna should inspire everybody. As the Petroleum Secretary in the 1980s, he was offered a handsome kickback of five per cent share by a French Bidder in the Rs 1,700 crore Hazira-Bijaipur-Jagdishpur oil pipeline project for having chosen their company over other costlier bidders. He instead asked the company's representative to offer the same sum as a discount on the cost of the project, thus saving the Government crores of rupees!