Srinagar, Nov 18 (IANS) It was with joy tinged with sadness that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inaugurated a school building, funded by an NGO, in north Kashmir. Pointing to the malaise of corruption, he wondered why the state government could not create similar facilities despite incurring the same expense.

The high school building in Uri town has been donated to the Jammu and Kashmir government by the Aga Khan Foundation which had started a relief and rehabilitation effort in the area after the devastating earthquake of October 2005.

'I am very happy to see the classrooms, laboratories and other facilities in the high school building constructed by the Aga Khan Foundation,' said Abdullah Tuesday.

'I am happy because the building has all the modern facilities and has been built with commitment and dedication.

'At the same time, I am sad because when I asked the concerned people about the cost incurred to build such a nice building I learnt that the foundation has spent almost the same amount on this high school building which the state government spends on construction of such buildings across Jammu and Kashmir,' he said.

The chief minister was in fact expressing a serious concern about rampant corruption in various governmental institutions which has plagued Jammu and Kashmir for decades.

'I don't want to comment on the authenticity of the survey that rated Jammu and Kashmir as the second most corrupt state in India, but it is a fact that every sphere of public life has degenerated because of corruption here,' said Khwaja Nisar Hussain, a retired chief engineer here who was known for his high integrity and honesty during his 30-year-long career here.

Ali Muhammad, 52, a resident of central Badgam district here, said: 'You are confronted with corruption each time you enter a government office here. Whether you want a driving licence or a ration card for yourself or any member of your family, you have to pay your way through the officialdom here.

'It has almost been accepted as a fact of life and that is why nobody raises an eyebrow when asked to offer a bribe.'

Ironically, the corrupt are not looked down upon in the local society where monetary affluence is seen as the only measure of success in life.

Hussain said: 'I am appalled to see the amount of money spent by the corrupt who make a brazen display of their ill-gotten wealth during festivals or social functions.

'They also give money to beggars and charities to earn a noble image in the society. It is a strange logic with which such people live their lives.'

Nisar Hussain also said the problem is so deep-rooted in Kashmiri society that corrupt officials are often rated 'as dynamic and given plum postings by the powers that be'.

Asked whether he had any regrets about serving honestly all his life, the retired engineer said: 'Not at all. In fact, I pity those who believe they can cheat man and god by making money on the sly and then entering mosques to pray five times a day.'

Kashmir's tragedy is that civil servants like Nisar Hussain are very few.

This makes Abdullah's crusade against corruption in public life a herculean task. As he said: 'I would rather give up the chief minister's chair than compromise on corruption.'