BHUBANESWAR: The Cuttack Vigilance Division have arrested an Assistant Engineer (AE) of the State Government while he was receiving a bribe of Rs 10,000 at his office on Wednesday. The AE, Purna Chandra Sahoo is a native of Arakhapatna in Atahgarh.
He is posted as the Assistant Engineer of Badamba Block in Cuttack district.
According to the Vigilance, the complainant in this case, Subas Kumar Sahoo was contracted the renovation work of a pond Nuapokhari in Kankadajodi village in Badamba under the NREGS scheme.
To release the payment of labour charges amounting to Rs 3.66 lakh, the AE had demanded Rs 45,000 out of which, Subas had paid Rs 30,000. Subsequently for payment pertaining to construction of steps of the pond Sahoo had demanded Rs 15,000 and later reduced it to Rs 12,000.
Subas had already paid Rs 2000 and informed the Vigilance about the atrocity of the AE. On the basis of the contractor’s report, the anti-corruption agency laid a trap and arrested Sahoo while he accepted the bribe from the complainant. Cuttack Vigilance Division has registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The residential house of Sahoo at Mahanadi Vihar and his paternal house at Matikote village in Athagarh are being searched and further investigation is on, Vigilance SP Sudha Singh informed.