Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Saturday apprehended Hemanta Kumar Behera, Accountant-cum-Data Entry Operator (ADEO) of Talapada Gram Panchayat under Badasahi block in Mayurbhanj district, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹2,500 from a beneficiary under the MGNREGS scheme.
According to Vigilance officials, Behera had allegedly demanded the bribe from a poor marginal farmer for generating a work code for a sanctioned farm pond. Under MGNREGS, farm pond benefits are primarily extended to disadvantaged groups such as SC/ST, BPL, and small or marginal farmers. As work code generation is essential for issuing the work order, the beneficiary had been pursuing the matter with Behera for over a month. Instead of processing the request, Behera allegedly insisted on payment of the illegal gratification.
Unable to pay the bribe and facing continued pressure, the beneficiary approached the Vigilance Department and reported the matter. Officials said they had also received earlier complaints against Behera for taking bribes from other beneficiaries.
Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Behera red-handed while accepting the demanded amount. The bribe money was recovered from his possession and seized.
Following the trap, simultaneous searches at two locations linked to Behera are underway to examine possible disproportionate assets.
In this connection, a case has been registered against the accused at Balasore Vigilance Police Station on Friday under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
