The disease of corruption has become chronic and has taken such deep roots as to cause nausea. It was expected that the Panchayati Raj system will stem the rot of corruption to a great extent but, unfortunately, on the other hand, it has grown on a bigger scale. Even for an election to the post of Gram Pradhan and BDC member, millions of rupees have been spent. Those who have won the elections of BDC members are being offered a huge amount of money to vote for any particular candidate. This means that black money has played a big role in these elections.
Obviously, those who are investing an enormous amount of money to get elected must have some ideas or plans to recover and more money through corrupt means. At present, there are many schemes of the government(s), which are being carried out.
However, this is an undeniable fact that there is no scheme, which can be implemented without giving cuts to Pradhans and Village Secretaries. Only a naïve can ask, how the cuts can be offered when the money is directly transferred to their bank accounts? There is no doubt that direct transfer of benefits has reduced the harassment of beneficiaries, but its extent scale has helped grow the corruption to an unimaginable scale.
The housing scheme of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna has immensely helped the poor people to have roofs of their own but those who are assigned to implement it at the ground level openly make money from beneficiaries by recommending their names and also through the suppliers of building materials. Money earmarked for the paving of the village roads are not spent in the prescribed manners leading to loopholes for making money. It is very difficult to prevent it when the public representatives and the government employees are found to be hand in gloves.
There is no doubt that Goondaism has been largely controlled due to the strictness of the Yogi government, but it has to work really very hard to root out or at least bring down the corruption due to the complicity of the government employees village level Panchayati Raj office bearers are brought down. To achieve it will be no less than corruption and if this miracle happens then only those having the burning desire for social service will jump into the electoral fray, otherwise only such persons whose aim is to make more money and enjoy the leverages of power by the sheer dint of their electoral offices as it is prevalent at present.