Imphal, May 17: at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the Centre is fighting relentlessly to root out corruption from the country, bribery seems to be rooted deeply into the system of the state.
After some departments of state government have issued recruitment notifications, various unemployed youths have thronged at their respective district Employment Exchange offices for enrolment. Employment Exchange office is the first place where prospective employees get registered themselves and apply to their desire government jobs. However, the most worrisome fact is that some corrupt officials allegedly taught the lesson of corruption to job seekers and the ways to indulge themselves in bribery even before entering into the profession.
If a jobseeker is compelled to bribe the officials of Employment Exchange only to enlist him or her in the General (unemployed) category, how can we guarantee that the same person (jobseeker) will render his service sincerely after he got employed with any public office?
This is the case that was witnessed by a staff reporter of Imphal Times during a visit at the Employment Exchange office, Bishnupur situated at the district headquarters on May 16.
When the reporter reached the office at around 1pm, around hundred youths from different parts of the district were seen standing in a long queue leading towards a single window where staffs of the Exchange office collect documents for applying and renewing Employment Exchange Card.
For hours, the people remain standing at the queue waiting for their turn under the scorching sun. However, some people from among those standing in queue were noticed selectively signalled and called out from the queue by an official.
While entering at the back side of the office, another window was seen operating for “selective and urgent people”. And, a staffs of the office was seen collecting money ranging from Rs 150-200 from each applicant; and without any question they give the amount that the officer demanded.
The reporter, who recorded the whole gambit, was demanded to delete the video by some people. However, he managed to escape from the area safely with the evidence of the crime.
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