In an incident that shows how deep-rooted corruption in our system is, a contractual employee was arrested for taking bribe from his senior in the district education department in lieu of releasing Sarva Shiksha Aabhiyan grants for schools.
The Bathinda vigilance sleuths arrested accountant Ravi Kumar and recovered the Rs 8,000 bribe he had taken from block primary education officer (BPEO) Darshan Singh for releasing grant meant for a government school.
Vigilance department had laid a trap after Darshan Singh lodged a complaint against the accountant, Ravi Kumar, that he was demanding bribe to release grant.
According to the police, on July 25 the accused demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 from BPEO Darshan Singh to release the sanctioned grant of Rs 1.50 lakh meant for the residential special trainer school - the only school in the district that trains children for schooling. A total grant of Rs 7.5 lakh was already sanctioned to this school under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to run the special residential training centre under which the children from 8 to 14 years of age are trained so that they can join a school.
The accused accountant had earlier marked objections in releasing the grant earlier sanctioned to this school, following which a departmental inquiry was marked against the BPEO, Darshan Singh.
SSP, vigilance, Bathinda range, Sukhdev Singh Chahal, said, "We arrested accountant Ravi Kumar red-handed and recovered Rs 8,000 that he had received as bribe from the complainant. The complainant had already paid Rs 2,000 to the accused."
The accused accountant had earlier marked objections in releasing the grant earlier sanctioned to this school, following which a departmental inquiry was marked against the BPEO, Darshan Singh.
SSP, vigilance, Bathinda range, Sukhdev Singh Chahal, said, "We arrested accountant Ravi Kumar red-handed and recovered Rs 8,000 that he had received as bribe from the complainant. The complainant had already paid Rs 2,000 to the accused."