The cash-for-jobs scam is growing bigger by the day. Names of several people have come to the fore in complaints which are under investigation.
Bribe collection for different government posts running into lakhs have revealed that there are several women involved at different levels as part of a well-oiled system. One speaks of women’s empowerment as a key part of achieving gender equality for a more peaceful and prosperous world.
However, the involvement of women in the cash-for-jobs scandal is taking ‘women’s empowerment’ off the tangent. One of the probable reasons why the cash-for-jobs has become like a festering wound is that it has become a common trait for politicians to promise jobs as a part of the election campaign.
Citizens vote for a particular candidate with the hope that the promise of government jobs is delivered. Adding to this is the promise made by political parties of creating hundreds of jobs if the party is elected to power.
When government jobs are not forthcoming, it leads to frustration among the general public. As a result they fall prey to scams. When jobs are not delivered even after paying the bribes it leads to more frustration.
In order to stop this domino-effect, candidates contesting the elections should not promise government jobs and political parties should not promise creation of hundreds of jobs after coming to power as it can mislead the general public.
