Be it education or jobs, corruption has many layers

After the launch of a long-awaited Anti Corruption Helpline number (95012-00200) in Punjab on the occasion of the Martyrs Day, more than 1.5 lakh complaints were received within a week at its Mohali headquarters through video and audio mode. Just imagine how much the state has been suffering from corrupt practices. The state is deeply immersed in debt, and this situation has been created by its own people. Way back in 2008, I had heard somewhere that in Punjab, if someone wanted to get a project approved, a certain part of the profit was required to be shared with the political bigwigs. The situation kept worsening even after that period. The new government is expected to change the trend, to bring the state economy on the right track. The decision to allow only one pension to the former MLAs of Punjab is also commendable. Otherwise most of the leaders were leaving no stone unturned to loot the government treasury by claiming multiple pensions.
 
The Punjab government is also being hailed for pulling strings on arbitrarily fee hikes by private schools. No school will be allowed to force the parents to buy children's books and uniforms from a particular shop. The government has set a good example, which should be followed by other states as well. There was no check on corruption in the field of education, which made guardians helpless and no one was listening to their plight. Now the people of Punjab will be able to buy their children's books and uniforms from any store of their choice. It is another matter that the school may find some other way to cheat. Haryana is also suffering from the termites of corruption. Ashok Khemka, a senior IAS officer known for his strict decisions, has pointed to bribery of more than Rs 300 crore value, in his letter to the Haryana CM. The letter hints about an alleged bribe of Rs 200 to 500 per square yard. Irregularities have been found in more than 64 thousand registries. More than 50% of these cases are reported from Karnal, Gurgaon and Faridabad districts. If the size of the plot is assumed to be an average of 250 square yards and the bribe amount is at least Rs 200 per square yard, then this amount becomes Rs 300 crore.
 
According to a research by Dr. Kulwinder Singh of University Business School (UBS) of Panjab University, 71% of those going abroad from Punjab are those who take the illegal route. Less educated or semi-skilled Punjabi youth, when not able to migrate in a legal manner, i.e. whose application is rejected, mostly opt for illegal or irregular migration. Of these, 57% migrate to European countries in search of jobs. About 18% go to Arab countries and 11% to Southeast Asian countries like Singapore or Malaysia. Most of them are below 40 years of age and 95% are educated till 12th standard or below. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in New Delhi released its open dose report and revealed that in the 2020-21 session, 9.14 lakh foreign students from 200 countries were studying in the US, of which 20% or about 1.67 lakh students were from India alone.
 
(Writer is a senior journalist & columnist)