AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has released figures on corruption in the state government machinery. The ACB data puts the state’s home department on the top in corruption, while the panchayat department ranks second.
According to the ACB’s one-year statistics, until December 20 this year, 199 cases of corruption were registered in 37 police stations in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Panchmahal, Surat Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, and border areas, including 7 cases against Class-I government officials, 28 cases against Class-2 officials, 130 cases against class-3 officials, and 7 cases against Class-4 officials. Complaints of corruption have also been filed against 104 private individuals who work as middlemen. Thus, in a single year, the ACB has charged 276 people with corruption.
The details given by the ACB indicate the highest number of corruption complaints in Gujarat is at 66 against the Home Department. Among the cases, two involve Class-II government officials, 63 from Class-3, and 29 non-government individuals. Thus, in one year, ACB has booked 94 government and non-government persons associated with the Home Department and seized a bribe amount of over Rs 38 lakh.
The state’s panchayat department ranks second in terms of corruption complaints, with 35 complaints being filed against various categories of department officials in 2023, including one belonging to Class-I officer, 16 Class-3 officials, and 29 non-government individuals. A bribe of Rs 14,98,520 was confiscated by ACB. In Gujarat, the Revenue Department ranks third in complaints for corruption. The ACB has also seized the bribe sum of over Rs 15 lakh.