A revenue official in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, has been arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for demanding a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a man for issuing a Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration card in his favour.
The ACB said in a statement that it received a complaint from the man, who alleged that he had approached a ration dealer to get a BPL ID for his brother to get a separate ration card from his father. The ration dealer and the man then approached the Tehsil Supply Officer (TSO), Rajouri, and submitted the relevant documents.
However, the TSO, Mohd Reyaz, delayed the issuance of the BPL ID and demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 from the man. The man then lodged a written complaint with the ACB, which registered a case against the TSO under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
An ACB trap team was then constituted, which caught the TSO red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 18,000 from the man. The TSO was arrested on the spot and his residential house was searched. Further investigation into the case is underway.
This is a welcome step by the ACB to crack down on corruption among public servants. Bribery and corruption are major impediments to development and good governance, and it is important to bring such erring officials to book.
