The Hindu Business Line : Entrepreneur aims to start company to stop bribes

Bangalore, Nov. 8 Some ideas are definitely worth spreading, and Delhi-based social entrepreneur and lawyer Mr Shaffi Mather has such an idea, which he shared at TEDIndia, Mysore.

Mr Mather, along with seven people, is in the process of starting a company that would help citizens fight the bribe menace.

The company’s offering would be as a service but those wishing to make use of it would have to pay.

So the next time you are asked to pay a bribe, contact this company and it would take up your case with the people who demanded the bribe. The organisation will try to ensure that you get the job done without having to pay the bribe.

“If your house is infested with insects, you can call for pest control service; or if there is security threat you can engage guards. These people can solve your problems,” said Mr Mather. “But if someone asks for a bribe, you have nobody to help you. That is why I thought of offering this service.”

But has the company been given a name? “We wanted to call it Stop Bribes and Prevent Corruption Ltd and have filed for name clearance. But we have received a mail last week asking us to modify the name,” said Mr Mather.

The lawyer is clear about who cannot approach the proposed company.

“All citizens who have a legitimate case can approach us. But obviously, if somebody breaks the law they cannot come to us.”

The objective of the proposed Stop Bribes would be to address smaller issues initially, because that is what the common man is bothered with. It could include bribes demanded at passport offices, road transport offices, or even at the electricity supply offices.

But you might have to wait for sometime for approaching the stop-bribe organisation.

“We have filed for registration. We will begin as soon as we complete all the formalities,” said Mr Mather.

The company would begin operations in one State first and then expand to other States. The entrepreneur declined to name the State, but added that it would not be Delhi.

Mr Mather has tried his hand at 42 such cases on a pilot basis, and said he has been able to get the job done in less than 30 days in all the instances. He mentioned the Right to Information Act as one of the tools that could be used, but declined to give details about the other tools the company would use.

The services might offer reasonably high margins, but at times they might have to provide free services, or services at low charges, he added.

So the next time someone asks you for a bribe, you can walk out in a fit of rage, or pay up, or contact Mr Mather at www.stopbribes.org.

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