Revenue department retains top position as 'most corrupt'

Revenue Department has retained the top spot as the "most corrupt" among the government departments in Maharashtra during 2008.

Revenue Department has retained the top spot as the "most corrupt" among the government departments in Maharashtra during 2008.

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The Department topped the dubious list, based on Anti Corruption Bureau's (ACB) action against bribe, in 2007 also.

Police department was at No. 2 on the list for the second consecutive year, while Zilla Parishad occupied the third spot, sources in the ACB said.

These departments were ranked on the basis of successful traps laid by the anti-graft agency last year.

Departments like forest, public health, education, sports, social welfare and child welfare, besides Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company and local bodies figure in the 'most corrupt' list, the sources told PTI.

In 2007, Panchayat Samiti had occupied the third and Forest Department fourth spot respectively. Regional Transport Authority (RTA) was on 10th spot last year.

A dozen Revenue employees were successfully trapped for bribe by ACB sleuths in ten cases in 2008. These included one Class two officer and nine Class three staff. Seven policemen (all Class three staff) and four Zilla Parishad employees, including a Class one officer, were nabbed while accepting bribe last year, the sources said.

Besides traps, ACB pursued cases like possession of illegal wealth, cheating, criminal misconduct, conspiracy and forgery. There were 11 such cases in 2008, they said.