Coalition Against Corruption (CAC)

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The Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) is a campaign to combat corruption in a systematic way by lending a helping hand to citizens willing to fight corruption in public bodies and government agancies. This anti-corruption initiative was launched in December 2005 under the aegis of Public Affairs Centre (PAC) along with Swabhimana, the Association for Voluntary Action and Services (AVAS); the Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT); the Consumer Care Society (CCS) and the Karuna Trust.

Objectives of the Coalition against Corruption

The objective of the CAC is to reduce the burden of corruption faced by ordinary citizens in their day-to-day transactions with various government departments. The sole intention of addressing the issue of corruption at the lower end of the system is to give some relief to the common man who otherwise doesn’t seem to have any helping hand in corruption cases. CAC addresses corruption in public departments and service providers by bringing social and moral pressure on the impugned agencies and corrupt officials through an established citizen-friendly process.

A HELPLINE to call for..

The CAC has established a HELPLINE (6573 4444), which provides assistance to citizens in the redressal of their complaints and grievances relating to corruption faced from public departments and agencies. The aggrieved citizens can call the Helpline number and register their complaints with CAC by handing in a complaint form. These forms can either be downloaded from the website or obtained from the CAC office itself.

Modality of Functioning

The affected citizens may register their complaints with the CAC by handing in a brief factual statement, online request, or oral request via telephone. In the latter cases, the complainants will be required to follow up with written complaints, in order to authenticate their identity.

The CAC will forward the complaints to the appointed nodal officers in the departments and agencies concerned for remedial action. These should be based on actual demands for illegal gratifications or be based on unduly delay or denial of services with the apparent motive to canvass illegal gratifications.

CAC will follow up the complaints in case responses are unavailable for a reasonable time, or are not satisfactory, by phone calls or meeting the nodal officers / higher authorities in the departments and agencies concerned - as required. The complainants will be informed of the progress of their cases appropriately.

CAC will give publicity through media to the major complaints received and action taken.

Coalition Against Corruptions’s Effectiveness

Undoubtedly, the success of CAC will depend on the effective participation of alert citizens. Transparency International (India) has listed Karnataka as one of the most corrupt states in the country. It is essential to reverse this trend through determined efforts and citizen participation. It is envisaged that:

The social and moral pressure built up by CAC will act as a deterrent against corruption. CAC will enlist the support of the media and eminent citizens for the campaign against corruption.

CAC will educate the public through awareness campaigns to fight corruption. CAC will resort to the provisions of the Right to Information Act (RTI), where appropriate.

The databank and data analyses to be undertaken by CAC will be disseminated to the government agencies, Lok Ayukta, and to the public.

Scope

The anti-corruption initiative will fight corruption in the following nine departments and agencies located in Bangalore:

Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BMP)
Bangalore Development Authority (BDA)
Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB)
BangaloreCity Police (BCP)
Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM)
Transport Department
Revenue Department
Stamps & Registration Department and
Department of Health (Hospitals).

In addition, CAC will also address specific instances of corruption, reported by affected citizens, in other departments and agencies on a case-by-case basis.

Future Programmes

CAC currently has one Helpline that is based in the office of the CCS at Banashankari, Bangalore. Additional centres will be opened in the subsequent phases at different localities in Bangalore. CAC also plans to expand and establish helplines at district levels in association with Karuna Trust.

For additional information on CAC and to register your complaints and grievances, please contact:

Helpline Number: 6573 4444

Address: Coalition Against Corruption (CAC),
C/O Consumer Care Society, No.593, 24^th Cross, BSK II Stage, Bangalore, 560070.
Email to: cacblr@pacindia.org