HYDERABAD: Continuing its crackdown on corrupt officials, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has collected data of tainted revenue officials and their illegal activities. From ranks of Village Revenue Officer (VROs) to tahsildars, the agency has kept a close vigil on these officials.
The recently formed Bachupally mandal in Medchal-Malkajgiri district has been in the news of late. After deputy tahsildar B Sridevi was caught red-handed earlier this year, another tahsildar NY Giri along with his private car driver was nabbed while collecting bribes. Apart from a volley of plaints against officials, ACB has been keeping an eye on such new mandals which are now generating more revenue.
A senior ACB officer said that they have started keeping track of the regular activities of suspect officers following complaints and a tip-off on their corrupt activities.
“A number of complaints are pouring in from mandal offices generating high income having revenue transactions. Last year, deputy tahsildar B Sridevi of Bachupally was caught red-handed while accepting `3 lakh bribe. Taking advantage of people’s innocence and the value of land in Nizampet and Bachupally localities for any corrections in records, the staff are habituated to accepting bribes,” ACB officials said.
With the agency intensifying raids on corrupt officers, a number of tahsildars who are given official mobiles, have changed their phone numbers to avoid ACB’s vigil.
Speculation among officials is widely doing rounds that ACB had intercepted official mobile numbers of few tahsildars following plaints that led to their arrest. In the incident at Bachupally, the tahsildar allegedly used his driver’s phone for asking the bribes.