Kejriwal announces helpline to trap the corrupt

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday announced a helpline which he said would help trap government employees who demand bribes.

Kejriwal told media persons that anyone who is asked to pay a bribe by any official in the capital should seek help on phone number 27357169.

"This is a helpline number, not a complaint number," he said, adding that a shorter easy-to-remember four-digit phone number would be announced in four-five days.

Kejriwal admitted that there might be initial hiccups but expressed the hope that things would be sorted out.

Once the details of the complainant are taken down, the anti-corruption wing of Delhi administration will explain how to do a sting operation vis-a-vis the corrupt using the recording device of one's mobile phone.

"The idea is to inject fear among bribe seekers," Kejriwal said. "Now an officer demanding bribe won't know if you are recording him on your mobile phone or not."

"There are many honest officials in the government but a few fish are muddying the water who need to be identified," he added.

The vigilance department has deployed a sufficient number of employees for this task, the chief minister said.

If necessary, Delhi Police personnel would also chip in, he added.

"Every citizen is now an anti-corruption crusader (in Delhi)," he said, adding that mobile phones would be the biggest weapon of people.

The helpline would function from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Kejriwal, after taking oath Dec 28, had announced that he would launch a phone helpline soon to trap bribe takers.

He said the project got delayed as he found that the anti-corruption department was badly understaffed.

He also announced that the government would take action against "big ticket corruption" in the coming days.

Asked about protecting whistle blowers, Kejriwal said: "In the absence of proper whistle blower protection act, we (Delhi government) will try to do whatever we can."