Editorial
Doing away with Titas meter readers
This is not be enough to curb corruption
TRIMMING an overstaffed organisation is a good thing. But the primary reason cited by Titas Gas for doing so seems rather unconvincing and may be even a misplaced proposition.
The only government agency responsible for transmission and distribution of gas throughout the country has felt compelled to suggest doing away with the more than hundred meter readers, in their new organogram. The meter readers have since become well known for wanton indulgence in corruption and for amassing huge amount of illegal wealth, after the government task force unearthed their misdeeds. The scope and the filthy way a category of Titas employees had been milking the state of huge amount of money and filling up their own coffers is indeed mind boggling.
But we ask whether by simply doing away with a part of its manpower would help Titas rid itself of corruption? It is matter for thought that corruption within the organisation was unearthed by an external agency. Are we to understand that had it not been for the task force, the despicable state of affairs would have gone on, and this band of dishonest people would have continued in their merry way of brazen corruption?
We feel that the recommendation, of doing away with a part of manpower at the lower level, is a poor excuse for the utter rot that has eaten into the entire system of Titas and the utter oversight failure of the higher management. One would like to ask, where was the internal supervision that is supposed to be inherent in any public organisation, let alone one that deals with crores in public money? Was it possible for these people, posted at the lowest rung of the organisation, to indulge in reckless corruption without some of the higher-ups in the organisation either turning a blind eye or colluding in the sordid affair?
We suggest that one needs more than mere changes in the organogram and reduction of manpower to rid an organisation of corruption. For Titas Gas there is a need for a complete overhaul and cleansing of the system. Not only those that had indulged in amassing huge amount of illegal wealth, but also those that allowed this to go on, either by colluding or by failing in their duty to exercise adequate supervision, must be taken to task. Also, there must be enough systemic safeguards so that the scope to indulge in corruption is reduced.
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