Combating Corruption in Indian Public Procurement – Some Exploratory Case Studies

Abstract

This paper has adopted the exploratory case study method of analyzing a few recent cases of public procurement irregularities on Indian Railways documented by the vigilance departments and the CAG available in public domain to inquire into the following issues:

(a) how do irregularities and instances of corruption persist in spite of safeguards and thereby find the deficiencies of the current procurement processes and control mechanisms,

(b) recommending appropriate corruption prevention methods for arresting the deficiencies in the Indian context.

The recommendations following the case analyses are the need for comprehensive set of measures including strengthening the accountability, monitoring and whistleblower mechanisms, training of procurement officials and building a strong information system.

Keywords: Public Procurement, Corruption, Public Sector, Audit, Vigilance, Accountability

JEL Classification: D73, H11, H54, H57, H83, K12, K14, K42, L92, N75