Title - SMS sermons for railway employees

KOLKATA: Employees of the South Eastern Railway are being bombarded with moralizing SMSes for the past six days in an attempt to "keep them from slipping".The 12,000-odd SER staffers have got SMSes saying 'corruption thrills some, kills many but bills everybody', 'Don't blame the darkness. Light a candle', 'A small step of honesty can be a big leap for prosperity'.The SER bosses feel the campaign is a hit. "This unique way of reaching out to the staff has become extremely popular. Employees have been seen discussing the messages. If we manage to bring about a change in the attitude of some of the employees through this campaign, it will be a great success," said SER CPRO Soumitra Majumdar, adding that it was the brainchild of general manager A K Verma.The campaign started on October 29. A slogan is coined every day and sent to the official mobile numbers."It might be slightly difficult for a ticket checker to seek illegal gratification from a passenger after starting the day by reading a message like: 'Your silence today may be the cause of your sadness tomorrow. Speak up against corruption'," an SER official said.Several steps have been taken in recent times, such as e-procurement and e-auction, to bring down large-scale corruption. However, smaller incidents involving staff continue to take place. As part of Vigilance Awareness Week, even employees on trains like. It is not always possible to keep tabs on the employees though efforts are made. A change can only come about if they start thinking differently. We have also organized seminars and other events to raise awareness against corruption.