Hyderabad: A middle ranking officer of the state electricity department in Telangana has stirred a hornet’s nest by putting up a board in his office chambers declaring: “I don’t take bribe. I am uncorrupted”.
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It has not only left his visitors surprised but has also angered other officers and employees in his office who feel he was trying to project others in a bad light by posing himself as an angel.
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But Podeti Ashok, an Assistant Divisional Engineer in Northern Power Distribution Corporation Ltd headquarters in Karimnagar insists that the only purpose of the board was to ward off the people who harass him by offering bribes to get their work done in violations of rules. But he does not hesitate to point out that corruption was rampant in his department despite government paying good salaries. “I wanted to caution the people coming to get their work done that I would not accept any bribe, so no use of offering it to me. I want to discharge my duties honestly and according to the rules”, he told the Gulf News over phone from Karimnagar.
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His unusual action caught the eyes of the media and general public when the bilingual poster in Telugu and English languages went viral on social media. Ashok, who joined the department as an assistant engineer in 2005 and was promoted as assistant divisional engineer about two and a half years ago said that mostly the offer of bribes come from contractors who want their filed cleared and bills paid without following procedures. Similarly the farmers wary of making rounds of offices also wants to pay the “speed money” as the bribes are described locally.
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In most of the government offices, specially in departments related to public utilities and land registration it is a norm to pay bribe which is shared among all the members of the staff. “So it is natural that the poster has not gone down well with many”, said Khaja Moinuddin, a retired government official in Hyderabad. “In many cases officials are forced to take bribes by other colleagues so they could get their share. I can understand why this officer is flustered and was forced to take this unusual step”.
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Ashok denies he was trying to become a hero. “I am like this from childhood. I am against the culture of corruption”, he said. “I tell people we are paid for our work. Why you want to give us more money. If your work is not done go to the senior officials or go to media”, he said.
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Though he was facing a lot of harassment within his own office, Ashok said he will not budge. “Let them transfer me. Wherever I am posted I will do this till my retirement”.
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The matter has come into focus at a time when the revenue department, generally believed to be one of the most corrupt part of the government administration was reeling under the incidents of attacks on its officials. While one Mandal Revenue Officer was burnt alive by a land owner for the delay in settling his dispute in Abdullahpurmet near Hyderabad, in another recent incident in Karimnagar district an irate farmer tried to set four members of revenue office on fire alleging they were harassing him in the case of updating his land records.
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Such incidents have spurred the revenue officials to take preventive measures and keep the visitors away. They allege that some politicians were provoking people by alleging that the revenue employees were the most corrupt.
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