A local contractor once told me he had to pay 30 per cent to a fixer before he could even get the contract to repair a village road. “If I don’t do it, someone else will,” he said. That was for a small road project. Now imagine what happens when billions start flowing in under the 40 per cent ruling — with no accountability frameworks in place, an election around the corner, and the Chief Minister’s office holding the purse. Are we ready? Or are we just celebrating?

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