Corrupt officers

The arrest of a senior jail officer last week has once again proved that a section of government officers and employees have continued with their corrupt practices despite a zero-tolerance stand taken by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. In the instant case, the Superintendent of Guwahati Central Jail was arrested in connection with an alleged racket involving the supply of illegal substances inside the prison. During the investigation, two police personnel posted at the jail were also arrested, and illegal substances were recovered from their possession. A few months ago, a lady officer of the Assam Civil Service was arrested on charges of acquiring assets disproportionate to her salary and annual income. As reported, raids conducted in her residence have yielded nearly Rs 1 crore in cash, apart from diamonds, gold, and other valuable jewelry. It is important to note that as many as 32 government servants were arrested by the CM Vigilance Cell in Assam during 2025 by conducting trap operations, and all of them have already been charge-sheeted. Media reports citing official documents say that as many as 430 Assam government employees have been arrested since 2019 on corruption charges. This is in addition to the arrest of 25 others who were arrested for amassing disproportionate assets. Though corruption has come down drastically in Assam since the installation of the first BJP-led government in the state in 2016, a section of government employees continue to practice their old habit. It is true that appointments made through selection procedures conducted by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) have become remarkably corruption-free, and the present government can take credit for making APSC the cleanest state-level Public Service Commission in the entire country. But various departments, including the education department, have not become corruption-free as yet, and clerks continue to take bribes for passing salary bills of newly appointed teachers. This has probably happened because senior officers in certain departments are either too busy with an overloaded work burden or turn a blind eye to such practices. One also cannot rule out the fact that some people continue to offer money for ‘chai-pani’ to government clerks to get things done.