Corruption cases double in 5 years

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 26

With the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau tightening the noose around corrupt officials, the number of corruption cases has doubled during the past five years from 35 in 2015-16 to 69 in 2019-20.The number of bribery cases has also increased from 15 to 21 during the same period.

Out of 69 cases registered during 2019-20, as many as 21 cases pertained to allegations of demand by public servants directly or through intermediaries and 21 persons were arrested. Adopting a proactive approach, the bureau laid a trap in 18 cases on tip-offs from credible sources and 18 persons were caught red-handed, including 15 public servants of whom three were gazetted officers.

Four cases were registered against public servants for possessing assets “disproportionate to their known source of income”. These included an RTO in Baddi district, a Zila Parishad Member (also former panchayat head) in Chamba district, a Junior Engineer, Soil Conservation Department, in Mandi district and a patwari in Solan district.

Besides, eight cases were registered under the HP Prevention of Specific Corrupt Practices Act, 1983, for offences like the construction of works below specifications, failure to take action on unauthorised encroachments on public land, laxity in taking action on illicit felling in forest land, etc.

Under the NDPS Act, 1988, four cases were registered against officials and in three cases, accused were found to be in possession of cannabis (charas) while in one case, commercial quantity of codeine was recovered. A few cases of economic offences like bank fraud and organised cheating were also taken up for investigation.

As many as 14 cases were registered in Kangra, 10 each in Mandi and Una, nine in Solan, seven in Shimla, six in Bilaspur, five each in Hamirpur and Sirmaur, two in Kullu, one in Chamba while no case was registered in tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti. The rise in the number of cases has been attributed to emphasis on public participation and encouraging people to report corrupt practices.

Panchayat chief booked in Kinnaur

The State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on Sunday registered a case under Section 17-A of the ammended Prevention of Corruption Act against the pradhan and panchayat secretary of the Sudharang gram panchayat in Kinnaur district for allegedly forging bills and misappropriating government money meant for the construction of LPG crematorium in 2015-16 to be constructed at a cost of Rs 43 lakh. A case was registered after a preliminary inquiry on a complaint received from district panchayat officer Reckong Peo.