Culture of receiving bribes increases in government offices

Birendra Bhatta, Dhangadhi: There is a problem of employees taking bribes in Far-West.

From the police to the courts, receiving bribes from service recipients has increased. Complaints are not heard that the government employees are reluctant work without receiving bribes. Consumers complain that they have no choice but to pay bribes to get services from government agencies.

It has come to light that even the employees sitting in the court have made a mockery of the law and have committed corruption. Ran Bahadur Katwal, registrar of the High Court Dipayal, has already been found guilty in a corruption case. Katwal has been sentenced to 9 months imprisonment and a fine of 498,000.

It is mentioned in the judgment that the amount will be recovered as per above. Katwal had prepared fictitious documents in his wife's name and collected wages for the post of a driver and computer operator. It has been proven that an official of an important government agency took bribe from a customer in Kailali only on Friday.

Prabhat Pal, Watershed Management Officer of President Chure-Tarai Madhesh Conservation Development Committee, Program Implementation Unit Lamki, Kailali, has been proven to have accepted bribes from the beneficiaries.

A corruption case has been filed against him after it was confirmed that he demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh 20 thousand. A case has been filed against him in the special court. Many service recipients have complained that their work is done only after paying bribes in the Transport Management Office Dhangadhi.

Three employees, including the acting head of the Transport Management Office, Dhangadhi, were caught red-handed while taking bribes. On the basis of a complaint that they had demanded money while changing names for the sale of vehicles, the team deployed from the Mahendranagar office of the Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission arrested Gambhirsingh Bista, the then Chief Branch Officer of the Transport Office, Bhuwan Joshi and Jairaj Karigar.

They were caught red-handed with a bribe of 1 lakh 66 thousand 100 rupees. Most service recipients have an impression that their work will not be done in government offices without paying bribe. On the other hand, there is a large congregation of service receivers who say that even in the mail office Dhangadhi, the employees do not work without receiving bribes.

Although not many incidents of taking bribes are publicised. One of the service recipient of Dhangadhi said, "It is only the lucky ones who can get the service without trespassing." If you don't have acquaintances and friends in their departments only way to get your work done is by paying a bribe.' If bribes are given they deliver work otherwise the work is delayed.

In such a situation, there is no option others than to give bribe, some of the service users complain about the law. Stakeholders say that because of the employees who take bribes, the government offices have become infamous. The government base is the 'hub' of receiving bribery. In any contract and quotation work, including road, bridge, building, water supply, irrigation, infrastructure construction, supply, transportation, etc. in government offices, the contract or service recipient have to pay bribe.

According to a construction professional, a commission of up to 3 percent of the total contract amount should be paid to the accountant and head of office when the contract is signed. The head of the office and the accounting staff take that amount to be sent to the higher authority. He says, `When the bill is paid after the work is done, there is a compulsion to pay 5 to 10 percent commission depending on the nature of the work.

It is customary to pay a commission of 10 percent for good profit jobs and 5 to 8 percent for less profitable jobs. This amount reaches the head of the office through the technician/site in-charge posted at the contract site. The commission is 'fixed' by the site technician when the bill is generated.'