Sharp rise in graft case, anti-corruption wing receives over 200 complaints

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Sept 1: BJP government in the State, which stormed to power with a thumping majority on the plank of development and anti-corruption in the State, the latest figures received from the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing of Assam police do raise a question mark on its tall claims.

According to sources the Vigilance and Anti-corruption wing of Assam Police has received over 200 complaints of alleged corruption so far this year. The Vigilance and Anti-corruption wing registered a total of 18 cases last year.

This year from among the 200 complaints the vigilance has registered ten cases. Eight of these ten cases are trapped case.  

In a major operation, the anti-corruption sleuths caught a Divisiol Forest Officer (DFO) red handed in Dhemaji on June 13 this year while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from three businessmen in his office.

The anti-corruption sleuths subsequently had recovered about Rs 2 crore in cash and parts of wild animals, including tiger and deer skins, from two residences of a divisiol forest officer (DFO) Mahat Talukdar.

Golaghat district excise superintendent Jibon Chandra Phukan was arrested red-handed by anti-corruption wing on July 1 while taking a bribe of Rs 25,000 from Parinita Dutta, owner of a liquor bar in Bongaon.

The anti-corruption bureau on July 25 arrested the District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO) of Darrang district, Phulendra Kalita, for accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a contractor. Another DEEO Tarun Bora was arrested in Morigaon on August 24 for accepting bribe.  The anti-corruption sleuths caught red handed a Lower Division Assistant in Morigaon while accepting bribes. The LDA of the education department, Shiva Barua was arrested while accepting Rs 20000 as bribe for processing prelimiry works to sanction pensions to beneficiaries. Significantly the LDA disclosed that District Elementary Education Officer Tarun Bora was the kingpin of the bribe racket. Subsequently, DEEO Bora was arrested.

Sources said the anti-corruption body has received most of the complaints against the officials of State Education department followed by Forest and Environment department.

The anti-corruption wing has already prepared chargesheet in three cases.

Before the Assembly polls this year, Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal had vowed to root out corruption in the State.

But there is a flip side to it as well. The numbers received from the anti-corruption wing don’t necessarily indicate a rise in corruption in the State. Instead, it also indicates that the government has maged to instill a sense of confidence among people who now have the courage to approach the concerned authorities to report about their seniors or peers.