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Report A new survey based on experience of Below Poverty Line (BPL) households in availing various public services last year revealed that the level of corruption is “alarming” in the states of Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. According to the ‘India Corruption Study 2007′, brought out by Transparency International India (TII) and Centre for Media Studies (CMS), one third of below poverty line Indian households paid 8,830 as bribes to government officials to avail various public services - from police to PDS.

Corruption Levels Report was released by the Vice-President on Sunday. It was stated in the report that nearly 10 lakh BPL households had to pay bribes to the tune of Rs 7.15 crore last year to avail the benefit under the UPA’s flagship scheme. Study has disclosed rampant corruption in implementation of the populist National Rural Guarantee Employment (NREG) scheme. States have been grouped into four categories according to the level of corruption. These four levels are alarming, very high, and high and moderate.

‘Moderate’ In Himachal Pradesh, Andhara Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttrakhand, Haryana and West Bengal the corruption level is ‘moderate’. Karnataka, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu fall into the “very high” group. The report was based on the corruption experienced by Below Poverty Line households while availing basic services like hospital, electricity and water supply, PDS and other services as land records and registration, housing, banking and police services.

Political Interference There are several schemes that have been initiated by the central and the state governments for providing employment and other benefits for the poor. But these schemes are present only on the papers in stead of ground level. Study found that 14 per cent of the poor households either paid bribe or used a ‘contact’ mainly political, to get the benefits of National Rural Guarantee Employment (NREG) scheme. This is the fate of every scheme and the poor.

Reality Poor can get the benefits of such schemes only through political activists. Most of funds issued for such schemes sometimes remain unused or are used for some other purposes. Situation is so bad that people all called only to sign papers only to fulfill the necessary requirements. And funds disappear like the water in the desert.