Official in Karnataka says general public is cause of corruption

Times of India: Bangalore: Sunday, September 29, 2013.

While the whole society is blaming government, particularly its employees for cause and practice of corruption, the president of Karnataka Government Employees' Association L Byrappa on Saturday said the general public is responsible for rampant corruption.

Byrappa who took oath as a president of the association for the second term, made this statement in presence of Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao and two senior bureaucrats, one among them incharge of a scheme reduction corruption and delay in government offices, in an event held at Vidhana Soudha.

The association president justified saying that as their work are delayed in their home town, people from remote corner of the state comes all the way to Bangalore to bribe the employees. "People should stop bribing the officials and employees, then only we can end corruption in government offices," Byrappa, an under secretary officer said.

He also attacked RTI activists and termed them as 'Black mailers". Defending his statement, Byrappa said the association is increasingly coming across the RTIs that are filed to seek information of the officers/employees personal details. "After getting information, RTI activists black mailed us for money and other considerations," he said.

To end corruption in transfers, the association demanded the government bring in place a comprehensive act on officials/employees transfers. They also asked the government to set up a new pay commission on the lines of Centre.