- I Paid A Bribe
- 13 years ago
- 4302 views
Corrupt Ranthambore forest department
- Forest
- Entry into Park or Forest
- Paid INR 2,000
Trip to Ranthambore. We went to booking office at 1100 hrs to get the tickets rightfully. There was already a queue of 7-8 people. I went to main office gate (which was closed) and spoke to an official who came at barred door regarding ID requirements, timing for booking counter to open etc. There was a guard standing. I saw this official giving a wad of tickets through the screen to a guy. He also told him zone 4 has been alotted as per request. He said there were four tickets in it. Also when i spoke to the driver of our safari jeep i was told that zone is alloted according to turn a driver is in. Tourist cannot request for the zone. This itself hightlights the corruption in the ranthambore forest dept. I came back to the counter and there were already 15 people. Also i realised the futility of standing there because 15% of tickets are sold at counter rest are sold online. With the amount of corrupt officials selling 15% of remaining tickets for more money before opening of counter the chances of getting tickets is close to nil. I eventually got 2 tickets through travel agents for3000Rs for jeep and 1100Rs for canter. These on their official website costs 890Rs. Assuming a part of the money will go to booking clerk in forest department. Indian officials in general are very courrpt do not encourage them with your money!
If your tour guide says the tigers have tracking device which can be traced by GPS, its untrue. These canters and jeeps dont even have radios let alone GPS. If they did have one every body would see tiger on all six sector of ranthambore national park everyday. They keep on talking about luck invoved when one can sees a tiger. Iam very sure they can attach a system to every jeep or canter if they were serious abt people seeing tiger and make tourist lucky as indian officials put it. But why would they do that, when leaving the sighting of tiger to good luck is a good way to make tourist buy more tickets thus make more of money for themselves. Knowing most tourists will get desperate to see tiger and buy more tickets thus filling the coffers of corrupt officials. Prehaps the tiger reserve should called either tiger lottery researve or bird sanctury as you will definitely see birds of some sort. I would suggest going to bharatpur bird sanctury for that as its cheaper.
All these things taken to consideration it is a tourist trap to line pockets of corrupt officials.
If india wants to be considered civilized county then they should stop blatently charging non indian 25 times more for sightseeing and treat everybody equally as all civilzed country do. Every non indian who comes to india gets ripped off by con men like government officials, hotels, travel agents, auto rickshaw driver to street hawker. This country has amazing number of dishonest people to feed the system of corruption.
I doubt that this letter will bring any changes to system or attitude but this is how rest of the world sees india. Makes me ashamed and embarrased to be an indian now living in a civilised country, Australia which is only 222 years young, am sure India is long overdue of being civilised. Prehaps some. Civilised country should start ruling this country again like British did in past.
All corrupt officials should be named and shamed by publishing their names and addressess in local newspapers!