Please go and vote but first pay a bribe for voter id card
While the government appeals to its citizenry to exercise its democratic right and head towards the polling both on election day, the sorry reality is that there is a price tag attached to even a voter identity card. Municipal officer, government officer, agent – these are the culprits according to our respondents, who end up threatening one’s democratic right to vote by striking a deal over voter cards. One of our respondents, from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, wrote to us stating that his attempts to procure a voter id card through fair means failed twice. When he openly conveyed his readiness to dole out Rs 300, he was given his voter id http://ipaidabribe.com/bribe-central/i-paid-bribe-vote.
On payment of bribe amouints, ranging between Rs 125 and Rs 2,000, voter id cards seem to emerge out of nowhere. In one particular case, the card was issued within 20 minutes of greasing palms though the individual had been trying to get it (without payment) for three months prior to it.
However, it also needs to be mentioned that our complainants show a keenness to procure the voter id card not for the original purpose it was intended to serve but merely to use it as an identity proof for procuring passport or other government documents. Though, this is no way justifies the demand.