Police the most corrupt public service in India, reveals survey

The stereotype of a corrupt police system in the country continues to hold true with good reason. A survey that covered 20 states found that more than a third of Indian households who interacted with the police had to pay bribes to them. The survey conducted by the Centre for Media Studies covered around 3,000 persons in both rural and urban areas.

According to the survey, out of the total ten public services that people were asked about, the police department was followed by Land/Housing (24%), Judicial services (18%) and Tax (15%) related services.

The top three reasons for giving bribes to the police were also most probably the most basic of police duties. These included getting a FIR/complaint registered, removing name as accused or avoiding arrest, and to avoid a challan from the traffic police.

According to estimates in the report, total bribe of Rs 6,350 crore was paid in 2017 as against 20,500 crore in 2005, for 10 public services across 20 states.

Nearly one-third of the households experienced corruption in public services at least once during the last one year compared to around 53 per cent that admitted to the same during a similar study in 2005. And almost all households, across the 20 states, who were asked to pay bribes by public servants, had no option but to pay them to avail the service.

The amounts for a bribe given ranged from Rs 10 to take an application form, to Rs 50,000 were also paid by a household. While the average amount paid as bribe in a year is around Rs 1,840.

The report also claimed that nearly half of those surveyed felt that the level of corruption had decreased during the Demonetisation period between November and December of last year.

On November 8, the prime minister had announced that the currency notes of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 in circulation at the time, nearly 86 per cent of the currency, would seize to be legal tender in an attempt to remove black money and tackle corruption.

OneIndia News