Just enforce the law, corruption will disappear

I have repeatedly said in my blog as well as the website www.vote2change.org that enforcing the law and holding government officials accountable for their actions holds the key to removing corruption. I had earlier described how the corruption cycle starts and ends. Now let me take the racket of superbikes is flourishing in an unknown town by the name of PEN in Raigard district of Maharashtra. As mentioned in my earlier blog, we in India seems to patented the innovative “7-steps of creating a mess.” Now let me explain this racket in terms of the model proposed earlier, that is, Turn a blind eye, Don’t decide, Create mess, Hope for the best.

1. Step 1: Innovation

The first step is innovation. Someone came up with the idea that why don’t we import complaete bikes (Custom duty-150%) and 3/4 pieces as spareparts (Custom Duty-24%) and save of customs duty. The bikes will be assembled and sold. But there was the problem of registration. The project sound very profitable.

2. Step 2: Establish a partnership to exploit the potential of the idea

But this cannot be done without the connivance of government officials from the customs department and the regional transport authority. Customs officials will clear the complete bike as parts and the regional transport authority officials will register the vehicle. Now this is the beginning of a lucrative partnership.

3. Step 3: Concept of competition takes over

Since the idea becomes more and more profitable, others join in and we have a completely new industry developed by the name of smuggled superbikes.

Now it should be understood that whoever is buying these expensive superbikes will be rich, powerful and connected.

4. Step 4: Delay in Court Decisions or government action

I doubt if there will be a court case but an investigation is taking place. Now since practically a lot of people would be involved in this racket, the investigation will go slow and will be finally forgotten or a few may be made a scrapegoat. Few officials may be transferred from one place to another as a punishment. Nothing serious will happen as practically everybody in these government departments has a skeleton in their cupboard.

5. Step 5: Everybody turns a blind eye

Since nothing serious happens, the activity will come up again but after some time. It will be business as usual.

6. Step 6 – Hope for the best

Not applicable in this case.

7. Don’t hold the government officials responsible for the mess

As mentioned above, the government officials are not held accountable and it is business as usual. The country loses taxes and illegal activity goes on without anyone to stop it. Black money keeps on being generated and everyone in the process shares it.

What should be done? Let me suggest the following steps:

Step 1: Set up fast-track special courts to deal with corruption cases. Also, set up investigating teams to collect the evidence. Tighten the law if necessary.

Step 2: File court cases against everyone who owns such vehicles as they bought illegal smuggled bikes and had the same registered by paying a bribe.

Step 3: All the government officials who signed the documents related to the registeration of these bikes should be terminated. Also, corruption cases should be filed aginast them. They should be investigated for disproportionate assets. I don’t think the government should have any problem proving disproportionate asset case as what do you think the corrupt officials were doing with all the money they earned as bribes.

We are not talking about transfers or suspensions as punishment. We are talking termination and involving them in a number of legal cases so that their life becomes miserable. If certain laws need to be tightened, lets tighten them but we should not let such people work in the government again.

Once you do this, I don’t think many people will dare to do illegal acts or get involved in corruption.

Avinash Narula