Behavior Codes for Government Oficials?

Behavior Codes for Government Oficials?

This is a question that needs urgent answering. Once you are part of the Government machinery, there is a feeling that you are above all. There are instances that come calling on my mind, a million ones that make you feel you pay taxes to keep these people in their seat of wellbeing.

But the instance that prompted me to write this story is one that shows the outrageous behaviour of these people. The story is one, related to the Kerala Water Authority. We have a domestic water connection in the house currently used as the office of Swasthi Foundation. As a charitable organization, we do not have any tangible income. The Foundation has 80G exemption from income tax and is involved in many a project for the people and in association with various Government wings, including Revive Vellayani that benefits the KWA directly. We have very close bondage with various Governments and semi-government bodies and have over the years had many Government officials and high ranking IAS and IPS cadre people as our patrons. But to the KWA, this meant nothing. They are a nation unto themselves and decide the lives of all those around. After all water is the most essential commodity and these almighties controlled the water we drink and wash with. They decide whether you should have water to drink or go thirsty.

However, all this has nothing to move the minds of the water authority. They insist that this no longer being used as a home, needs to be considered an institution. The reason they made this valuable discovery is when one of the meter readers saw the Swasthi Foundation display board affixed to the front of the house. They landed in a horde and wanted the meter to be changed to a non-domestic one. This happened in 2018. The onus of the transition was with the running contractor. The man was to collect the required payment and make settle all previous bills and enable the change. Now all this would simply have been nothing at all had we had the good sense to bribe these people. That obviously is the norm and that is what these people are on the lookout for. That incidentally is why they made the “discovery” in the first place.

After a few months, we had another unwelcome visit from KWA. The money obviously has not reached the authority. Their running contractor had vanished with the money. They landed as a horde with demands and when they were told of what happened, shook off their responsibility. It was as if I had chosen the running contractor for them. This was raised as an issue with the senior officers and there were requests from our side for a one off settlement. We received a lot of promises. But three years down the line, we still are to receive any sort of response except bills that kept enhancing by the day.  We in fact even got a decree from the Additional Private Secretary to the Minister in charge of water authority, Mr. Joshi. to take a look and to settle the issue, once and for all. Even so, there has been absolutely no moves from the department.

The whole thing came to a head just a few days back. A lady employee of the authority delivered a disconnection notice with a bill that showed an enhanced bill amounting to twenty-three thousand rupees. That very morning we had been to SCERT and were so pleasantly pleased with the welcome and acceptance of an innovative scheme that we had proposed to be added to the school curriculum, one that would add cancer awareness to their studies. We mention this to make it clear that all Government officialdom is not necessarily bad.  So let ne proceed with the story. As if this shock wasn’t enough, an hour later on the phone I receive a bill by SMS that demanded a payment of twenty-five thousand rupees. How within the span of an hour your bill got enhanced by two thousand rupees, is anyone’s guess. That too after we had requested a one off settlement, where we will be given a lower bill amount. The obvious reason is that the officer has either had not even taken a look at our request, or more realistically have realised that final settlement means that they will not receive the bribe amounts in their hands.

Now to add to that, the meter reader from our area calls me up. In his voice is the tone of threat. He blatantly tells me that he will shortly disconnect the connection. When I humbly told him of what had ensued, he replied that, that was the least of his concerns and the running contractor is not an employee. This brings to my mind a question. Are running contractors chosen by the people, the consumers? Or are they a product of these very corrupt employees, and obviously are their cohorts. I am quite sure that some of these people had received a share of the money that the contractor had unscrupulously usurped from us. In reality these are matters that the Government Vigilance has to take a look at, and very deeply too. These people living off the people’s money, holding them under the threat of denying them water that is essential.

Now an hour later we get another call, this time from an Assistant Engineer. We raised the complaint to him, including the threat from his sub ordinate. That was when I was in for the greatest shock. This man was now renewing the threat of the meter reader. What more, when told of the money that has changed hands, his query was, whether we had or not, we have no proof for it. Meaning that whether it is true or false, we will still have to suffer.

I squarely point an accusatory finger at the Kowdiar Section of Kerala Water Authority. I have now raised a complaint with the Superintending Engineer, who fortunately had the heart and decency to listen to my tales of woe. I have just a query for all. We pay taxes to keep our essentials intact. We pay for the salary of these people. But do we also need to pay them bribes to fatten themselves and their wallets? It is time we all raised our voices and question the evil intents of these people. They should never be allowed to intrude upon our rights and though the department they represent is called Water Authority, they need to be informed in no uncertain terms that they are not the authorities to prevent me from getting my fundamental rights. and basic needs.