Frequent Govt. advertisements kill two birds with one stone - making the people fully informed & reduce corruption too

In the interests of one and all ...

My dear countrymen!

Being a normal human being and leading a very simple and content life always interested in passing on knowledge to others which I gathered through various sources. Here, I try to shed lights on the above topic which are purely based on my personal experiences gained while facing my day to day life. I hope they will definitely enlighten my readers.

In the year 1985, when Rajiv Gandhi was the PM. He dropped a bombshell by openly admitting the fact that out of one rupee of govt. welfare scheme only 15 paisa reaches the targeted poor, rest goes to corruption. But it is more than 32 years now, one may have obviously thought that wide leakages must have now been plugged.

Thereafter Govts. kept on changing but I don't think there is really any noticeable drastic change taken place still today. No successive govt. started from that figure came forward yet with the figure in increasing order so that people might at least assume about the probable period when will full allocated fund smoothly reach the targeted poor regardless of the party in power. 

The question is why have we not yet overcome the problem? If the govt. having such a vast pool of manpower, machinery, fund, and infrastructure at its disposal can't do it, then who will do it?  It means all govt. Claims and counterclaims are hollow without substance and poor citizens are simply be fooled repeatedly.

Here the basic question arises:

whether govt. is really keen in extending relief to the needy?  Or simply interested in propaganda. In case serious, following measures are must:

1. Advertise its schemes frequently in newspapers and all other media platforms so that everyone could be able to know about the govt. welfare plans and avail the benefits.
2. Set up an independent committee comprising all sections of society to monitor the smooth execution of schemes at the ground level. 
3. Whenever govt. submits/ claims its schemes as a success or target fulfilled, immediate independent audit reports also be sought/ submitted to countercheck the claims.
4. Govt. should promulgate that any independent body which challenges govt. reports to be unfair or fake to any extent must be suitably rewarded.
5. Any govt. employee or agency engaged in the scheme from implementation to execution stages found indulging in any sort of malpractice and corruption should be blacklisted, suspended, fined and later sent to jail on proven guilty.

Above measures will show that govt. is keen and serious to help the poor and common men. It will play a vital role in improving their conditions though slowly also starts eradicating corruption in their daily life. 

And let me put forth here some personal incidents of my life how a simple information helped me in a great way monetarily.

1. After having two sons we decided to have a nuclear family so my wife underwent a small operation against which I was given huge cash benefits as incentives from a pvt. co. I was working with. It was given to us under some govt.'s rule about which I came to know only through a gentleman, a Dr. by profession, I knew him personally for a long time.
2. I have some hearing loss since birth. I have been a sufferer throughout my life. Here also information through an unknown Dr. I am wearing hearing aids now which was given to me under some govt. scheme and I am perfectly behaving like a normal person. These helps was unthinkable of in common man's case. This is why it is desirable of the govt. to make its citizens well informed about the facilities available to them under various schemes to uplift their life one way or other.

Following example will show how corruption creeps in people's life and why frequent advertisements are must to eliminate corruption.

Suppose govt. as a welfare measure decides to provide houses to poorest of the poor and allocates some acres of land for this purpose but does not popularize it properly. After some time office staff mischievously distributed the land which are meant for others among themselves and since nobody knew about this particular scheme, there was neither protest nor any enquiry from any quarter. 

This is why people must be kept aware by frequent advertisements using all media platforms.

Since poor are unable to access such unpublished information, middleman comes into the picture and exploits the situation. This is how corruption starts and poor are denied benefits and this is a continuous practice since long.

There are plenty of such govt. schemes already in existence and further announce in between at centre and state govt. both along with many NGOs and philanthropy groups are also in service of the poor and provide free services in most of the cases, but due to non- awareness, poor are unable to take advantage of them. May be they are intentionally kept away from such information for ulterior motives. Very sadly, these informations are available only to elites or Dalals ( middle men ) or consultants who exploit them and make money and hence breeds corruption.

Therefore people could be able to participate and avail benefits of the various govt.'s programs it is necessary that they must be fully informed through time to time by frequent advertisements.

JAI HIND.

Writer- Sinha.P.K. Views expressed are strictly personal. Feedback / Criticism welcome at Email -pkmsinha@gmail.com or follow @ pkmsinha.blogspot.in