The anti-corruption helpline of the Delhi government is not toll free, but rather costly. It brings down your balance if you call 1031, the recently-launched helpline number from your mobile phone.
On Thursday evening, we called on the anti-corruption helpline from a Delhi Vodafone pre-paid mobile number to complain a case of bribery. The call lasted 1.40 minutes and Rs 2.00 was slashed from the balance for the call.
It is pertinent to mention here that the same company charges 60 paise per call on every general call. Surprisingly, the Delhi government claims the helpline is toll free, but charges more than what most telecom companies in the city charge for a call of the same duration.
We also used a NCR number to call the helpline which resulted in the deduction of Rs 3.00 for a call of 2.24 minutes. So it is one rupee per minute if you call the helpline. ‘We just register the complaint and forward it to the anti-corruption cell for further action. We don’t have any record of the progress in the case,’ said the attendant who took the call.
Also, the helpline number is not a new but an existing one. ‘This PRA line for anti-corruption helpline shall function along with the existing line, details of which may be seen in the enclosed bill. The new PRA line is also required to be mapped to short code 1031,’ reads the letter of Rajinder Kumar, secretary to the Delhi chief minister written to Mahanagar Doorsanchar Sadan on 9 January, 2014.
The letter says all requisite documentation and payment are likely to be completed within 24 hours. The existing line was launched by Delhi government in 2012 for ‘AAP KI SUNWAI’.
‘The government did not follow the due process of bidding required to set up the helpline. They are violating