Why Are We Writing to You?
You are one of the rare leaders who has publicly acknowledged the issue of petty corruption within lower levels of government departments. You’ve expressed your frustration and even helplessness in rooting it out entirely. This honesty sets you apart, and it is why we believe you are the right person to address this pressing issue.
Who Are We?
We are Zen Citizen, a group of citizen volunteers on a mission to make government processes more transparent and accessible. Our belief is simple: information disparity fuels corruption. By providing clear, practical information about government procedures, we aim to empower citizens to:
- Confidently navigate the system.
- Submit robust applications that cannot be easily delayed or blocked.
- Question bribe demands rather than accepting them as a norm.
While we recognize that staff can still find ways to delay or block applications, our goal is to level the playing field through information, giving citizens the confidence to push back.
In addition to guides, we develop tools like our Encumbrance Certificate (EC) tool, which addresses specific challenges such as inconsistent village mappings on the Kaveri portal. This tool reflects our philosophy-leveraging technology within our scope to ease the citizen experience.
We also engage with citizens on social media platforms, such as Twitter and Reddit, resolving their queries about the services we cover.
Currently, we are piloting our initiative in Bangalore, focusing on essential homeowner services such as property record transfers, electricity connections, and water connections.
What Practical Information Do We Provide?
Here are some examples of the insights and guidance we offer:
- Khata Application:
“After submitting the Khata application online, the ARO called me and said their printer wasn’t working, so I have to visit the BBMP ward office with the originals.”
This is a tactic to solicit a bribe. Our guides clarify when a visit to the office is genuinely required, at what stage, and what to expect during your visit. - Legal Heir Certificate:
One of the application requirements is “document evidence related to family members.” However, only ration cards are accepted as evidence -a fact that is not explicitly stated anywhere. - Driving Tests at RTOs:
Applicants dressed in shorts are often barred from taking the test. This is not an official rule but simply “the way things are done.” We advise compliance to avoid unnecessary delays.
How You Can Support Us
One of our biggest challenges is accessing accurate and detailed information about various government processes. Currently, we follow a bottom-up approach: visiting offices and seeking clarifications directly from lower-level staff. While this has worked to some extent, it is not scalable.
We believe a top-down approach could be transformative. Would it be possible to connect us with contacts in your department who can provide clarity on specific processes?
Your guidance or any suggestions would be invaluable in supporting our mission to make government processes more transparent and accessible to citizens.
We look forward to hearing from you.