People in Bangalore most willing to pay bribe
By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 09 December 2009, 15:41 IST   |    19 Comments
Printer Print Email Email
People in Bangalore most willing to pay bribe
Bangalore: Corruption is the single biggest roadblock to development, way above poverty, population, illiteracy, terrorism. While all of us condemn this, it now appears more Bangaloreans are ready to pay bribes than their counterparts in Delhi or Mumbai. A Tata Tea-commissioned study by AC Nielson across three cities -- New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore -- found that corruption was the most significant challenge for the country. When 1,226 respondents were asked a whopping 46 percent said they wouldn't mind paying a bribe to get work done faster, while Bangalore topped with 53 percent ready to pay. When questioned if they'd paid a bribe in the past month, seven percent said they had and Bangaloreans topped with 11 percent. Sangeeta Talwar, executive director, Tata Tea, said the Corruption Index will be generated on a quarterly basis to get a more broadbased understanding of the issue. Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde said, "We're at 74th position in the list of corrupt nations according to a study by Transparency International. It's also been reported that Indians have stashed away a mind-boggling $1,456 billion in Swiss banks. If we use just the interest of that sum, we can pay off all foreign debt." A 38-day bus journey campaign across the country will urge the youth to take a pledge against corruption. The campaign, which will travel through 12 major cities, took off on the eve of Anti-Corruption Day. Witnessing the corruption menace Justice Hegde said, "From the Lokayukta's office, we're trying to create some awareness among the youth. I've visited 127 educational institutions in the past three years and talked to the youth about corruption." The survey results are given below. Would you pay a bribe to get work done? Bangalore 53 Mumbai 43 Delhi 41 Have you paid a bribe in the past one month? Bangalore 11 Delhi 6 Mumbai 5