Fighting corruption isn’t easy. But it’s necessary
If we want to improve governance and promote ease of doing business, we must reduce monopoly, minimize discretion, and strengthen accountability, suggests Usha Padhee.
VIGILANCE Awareness Week is around the corner and the theme for this year is ‘Vigilance: Our Shared Responsibility’. This theme resonates deeply with me, because I have lived through what it truly means to take that responsibility, not just in words, but in action.
We often hear about corruption in government offices. Yet, those who come forward to report it usually face long, complex, and intimidating procedures. The system, meant to protect integrity, often ends up exhausting the very people who try to uphold it. Delayed outcomes, technical hurdles, and personal harassment make many lose faith in the fight against corruption. Still, I believe that if we wish to become a truly developed nation, we must confront these realities head-on. This article is not to discourage, but to reform.
In 2018, while serving in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, I received a complaint that an Assistant Section Officer (ASO) in our department was allegedly demanding bribes for issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to airlines. For context, civil aviation is a highly regulated sector due to the safety and security concerns involved. Even individuals wishing to purchase an aircraft for personal use had to obtain a departmental from the department NOC, a rule I later abolished to promote Ease of Doing Business.
One day, a promoter of a private airline approached me, visibly disturbed. He confided that the ASO had asked for money to clear his file. I was shocked. I had always believed my team was driven by integrity and purpose. However, I assured him of taking action. Soon after that, the complainant connected me to the ASO over a phone call when I was sitting in the office. At that moment, I had a choice: disconnect, or become a witness. I knew the risks. But I also thought, if not me, then who? I continued to listen. The ASO, unaware of my presence on the line, demanded a bribe for clearing a file that was already approved at the competent level. My heart sank. The disappointment was personal; this was someone I had mentored and trusted.
Without hesitation, I reported the matter to the Establishment Officer and the Secretary of the Ministry. Many of my colleagues advised me to simply issue a warning and settle the matter internally, reminding me of the personal risks. But my conscience didn’t allow me to stop there and I wanted to create deterrence to such wrong doers. I filed a formal complaint with the Vigilance Division, which later referred the case to the CBI.
It raised many eyebrows. After all, it’s not common for an IAS officer to voluntarily take a corruption case within their own office to the CBI. But I believed it was my duty. However, there was a price of doing the right thing.
Subsequently, the CBI officials took my statement and asked for the mobile phone that had the recorded evidence. I consulted a senior IPS officer in the Ministry, who assured me the phone would be sent for forensic examination and returned soon after. That was in 2018. It is now 2025. My phone remains in the custody of the court as evidence. Though the CBI officials were courteous and professional, they couldn’t help due to the procedural labyrinth.
When I once asked for its return, an officer kindly offered to replace it with a new one. I had to decline. My concern was not the phone itself, but the sentiment attached as it was a gift from my husband.
Over the years, I have given statements in three different places, including before an Under Secretary who conducted an internal inquiry. Each time I hoped for progress, but the case kept moving slowly “It depends on the court.”
After I moved back to Odisha in 2023, I was summoned twice to Delhi for witness and cross-examination. That time, curiosity was there in administrative circles about why I was called to the CBI court. I had to clarify that I wasn’t accused; I was a witness! But such is the social cost of standing up. I attended the court with a lot of preparation. The court was respectful, but the defense strategy was clear: to cast doubt, to delay, to deny. Efforts are made to argue that the voice I heard was not that of the ASO.
The judicial process is rigorous and rightly so, since it must protect the innocent. But in reality, technicalities often delay justice for years. Even when evidence is strong, disciplinary cases in government drag endlessly. For the accused, the stakes are high. A proven corruption charge could end a career that might otherwise reach the highest levels of bureaucracy. Hence, every effort is made to prolong or deflect the case.
As of today, my case is still open. My phone remains seized. The accused continues to serve in Government and I continue to hope that the case will see closure before I retire. If it extends beyond that, the costs of pursuing it will come from my own pocket. But even then, I will not regret filing it.
The Larger Lesson is to simplify the system. This experience has reaffirmed my belief that corruption thrives where Government procedures are made opaque and complex. As it is famously said that Corruption is equal to Monopoly plus Discretion minus Accountability.
(Corruption = Monopoly + Discretion – Accountability)
If we want to improve governance and promote ease of doing business, we must reduce monopoly, minimize discretion, and strengthen accountability. Vigilance is not just the duty of a department, it is the shared responsibility of every citizen and every officer who believes in the power of integrity. Yes, I filed the case and I will continue to pursue it; not just for justice, but for the system to become better than it was yesterday.
(Writer is a Senior Administrative Service Officer. Views are personal)
