Rampur BDO held for accepting bribe of Rs 1.15 lakh from mukhiya

PATNA: Sleuths of Vigilance Investigation Bureau on Thursday arrested Rampur block development officer (BDO) Varsha Tave red-handed when she was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1.15 lakh from Kurari panchayat mukhiya Surendra Kumar Singh at her residence.
Tave, who is a native of Gaya district, had demanded the bribe for sanctioning a water pipeline project at Kurari under Rampur block in Kaimur district for supply of potable water in every household under the seven resolves of CM Nitish Kumar.
The vigilance trap team led by Kaimur DSP Maharaja Kanishk Kumar Singh during a search at Tarve’s residence also recovered Rs 1.7 lakh cash in addition to the bribe money of Rs 1.15 lakh. While talking to TOI on phone after the BDO’s arrest, the DSP said the official failed to explain the source of the money recovered from her residence.
“An engineering assistant had prepared a plan for laying water pipeline with an estimated expenditure of Rs 23 lakh for the entire panchayat. However, in lieu of approving the project, Rampur BDO was demanding 5% of Rs 23 lakh as commission, while the Kurari panchayat secretary Satyendra Singh was also demanding the same percentage of commission,” the DSP said quoting the complaint which the mukhiya had lodged with the vigilance bureau in Patna on July 12.
“The duo were to accept a bribe of Rs 1.15 lakh each on Wednesday from the mukhiya but the panchayat secretary had to go to the district headquarters for resolving some complaints of common people made through public grievance cell and hence he could not be arrested,” added the DSP.
The BDO had joined service in 1989 as a ‘Mahila Prachar Padadhikari’ and was to retire within three years.