This refers to the article, “Bribe is a way of life, after all!” (November 28) by Biswajeet Banerjee. The unholy nexus between the bureaucrats and politicians is so strong and corruption runs so deep into Government departments in Uttar Pradesh, that giving or taking bribe does not look odd. In fact, it has become a norm that, right from awarding a contract to releasing payments, every step involves greasing the palms — from peon to the upper hierarchy.
And yes, even bureaucrats are deprived of promotion if they don't pay bribe. We need to go back a few months in our memory and remember how senior politicians and Ministers amassed huge wealth through corruption, which would not have been possible without support from the bureaucracy who know the ways of graft. I agree with the writer's view that all this has been happening because there is no fear of law. Once there is the fear of law, things would start changing at the ground level.