Have you ever wondered how corruption has taken over the digital india landscape? So many processes have been computerised with online application and submission processes.
Here's the catch. Not all of them are avoiding corruption. Instead they are now making sure nobody gets around that government office without paying a bribe.
A good example would we what one would go through while getting plan approval for building houses.
The system has been redesigned such that the application must be submitted online but only a select group of registered/certified engineers can do it. This means the bribe receivers have been moved out of the government office into private offices, making it more convenient to negotiate higher bribes.
The applicants, in spite of having all the documents required, have to depend on this certified/registered engineer to submit the application and get a 'Number' generated using which the process proceeds further. If you do not make the offer of a bribe, this engineer would sit on the application for days and weeks and say the department officials are not available or the 'server is down.' Until the applicant makes the offer of the bribe and convicts the engineer, the server will remain 'down.'
In other similar processes, involving private companies applying for government contracts, the companies can submit the application online and get status updates from the government website. However, the application needs to be signed by an engineer in the department that does the evaluation and approval.
So, the digitisation of government offices have very little to do with eradicating corruption. In fact, the digital processes have reinforced the bribe-extorting power of the government officials.
Feel free to ask around to verify this story and you will hear much more than what is documented here.
#DigitalIndiaSucks
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