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        A Chennai-based non-governmental organisation has launched a campaign to eliminate corruption in government offices by highlighting to the government officials the evil effects of corruption on the economic and social development of the country.

        The members of the NGO recently urged the government officers belonging to the RTO, Revenue Department and the Registrar office located within the area to maintain the dignity of their posts by not succumbing to the lure of money and set an example for the younger generation by adhering to principles of honesty and sincerity.

        Saner sections of the society feel that the movement can be a success only if the civil society takes an active role in opposing corrupt practices by not giving bribes to officials for getting their job done.

        According to Joseph Paul Raj, a resident of Purasawalkam and currently working in a resort in Udhagamandalam, vices like corruption are thrust on society due to abandoning of the ancient and time tested values of Bharathavarsham. 'What more can you expect from a society which has forgotten its hoary tradition and a vibrant culture,' he said with a sigh.

        Rangabashyam, a trader of timber at Purasawalkam and a vehement critic of corruption in government offices, feels that the hope for a corruption-free ambience in government offices is only possible if the children of today take a firm decision in not to accept or take bribe. 'I sincerely hope that the young children of today get inspired by the noble thoughts of Swami Vivekanada and the great Libyan leader Omar Mukhtar and uproot the scourge of graft from the face of our earth,' he said.

        Anis Bajwa, a Bangalore software employee on a private visit to the city, says that corrupt officials should be exposed by using the tools such as IT. 'Persons who are victimised due to the corrupt practices of the government officials should be given a chance to air their grievances by writing on message boards and blogging sites about the mis(deeds) of the corrupt officials,' he said.

        Continuing in the same vein, he said that proper safeguards should be placed by the web designers so as to avoid harassment of honest officials by vested interests. 'For every 10 corrupt officials there is also an honest official such as Kiran Bedi, who would have enemies from business lobbies, and can be victimised by hurling baseless allegations against them in these message boards,' he said in a forth right manner.

        According to Dr Sathish Kumar, a Chennai-based psychologist, corruption can also lead to psychological problems among the officials concerned, and this could further lead to inter-personal problems within the family. 'When an official leads a corrupt way of life, he sees evil within each and everyone around him making him a suspicious entity, thus putting him a severe state of mental distress,' he said.