KSR Column: Who Will Bell The Corruption Cat?

By Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

Rampant and ever-growing corruption in both the Telugu states is a cause for serious concern. But, among both the Telugu states, AP clearly is head and shoulders above its sibling state.

Of late, the AP Government is cracking down on some big sharks. This is a welcome augury. However, at the same time, the administration has penalised a police officer who complained to the higher officials that he will not take bribes to fulfil the demands of his superiors. He should have been lauded for being a whistle-blower. But, he has been put under vacancy reserve.

So, the ACB raids are meant only for publicity and are essentially superficial.

In Telangana, the talk on the streets is that for an SI post, one has to shell out Rs 2 lakh. Similarly it is Rs 5 lakh for a CI post and Rs 25 lakh for a DSP post. In Andhra Pradesh, the rates are at least two or three times higher. Highly placed sources say the bribes so collected would be used to buy votes in 2019.

Unfortunately, the powers that be are behaving in the most irresponsible manner. The man ruling the state is asking the voters not to walk on the roads that he had built if they did not vote for him. "You will not get pensions if you don't vote for me," is the brazen narrative these days. Can such leaders stop corruption?

Look at Panduranga Rao, who amassed mind-boggling wealth in just two decades. He bought lands with his ill-gotten wealth and registered them on his relatives’ names. Later, he produced documents showing that the relatives had gifted the land to him. This in fact was the modus operandi of a political biggie in the past. This worthy had produced documents to show that his mother, who doesn't have a farthing as income, bought five acres in Hyderabad and later gifted the same to her grandson.

The fact of the matter is that the corruption is being institutionalised in the state. The corrupt official, the politician and the cops are in cahoots to create a mafia like situation. The sand mafia appears unstoppable. The latest land scams that have surfaced are truly stupefying. All these have shown that AP tops the list not just in alphabetical order, but also in corruption.

Our politicians are adept in weakening the cases and in influencing the course of the probe. A case in point is the Cash for Votes Scam, which is going nowhere. So, the officials are complacent that nothing is going to affect them and that the cases would be watered down gradually. The powers that be are smug and silent even when CAG slams them year on year for the never-ending corruption.

If the top boss is corrupt, he would very much want only the corrupt to surround him. A look at those swarming around the political biggies will tell us volumes about the corruption that is rampant these days.

In the final analysis, it is important to go to the roots of the problem. Cosmetic efforts can never pay dividends.