Chhattisgarh water resources department suspends six officials for bribery

Six officials of Chhattisgarh's Water Resources Department, including an in-charge chief engineer, have been suspended following cases of bribery and disproportionate assets registered against them. "The suspension order of these officials was issued on Saturday night from Mantralaya. The action has been taken as part of 'zero tolerance policy' adopted by the state government against corruption," Water Resources Department Secretary G S Mishra said on Sunday.

Those suspended are in-charge chief engineer (superintending engineer) Brijraj Das Vaishnav, executive engineer (EE) M Kujur, in-charge EE (assistant engineer) Alok Agrawal and deputy engineers GR Dewangan, Abrar Baig and Vijay Kumar Singh, he said, adding that they have been attached with the head office in Raipur. The premises of these officials were raided by joint teams of Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offences Wing on December 30 during which disproportionate wealth to the tune of crores of rupees was recovered from them, he said.

Vaishnav, posted in Hasdeo-Bango basin, was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from a contractor at his house in Bilaspur following which he was arrested, a police official said. Similarly, EE in Chhui Khadan of Rajnandgaon district, M Kujur was apprehended while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 54,000 from a contractor for approving bills of payment at civic centre in Bhilai, the official said.

Besides, the ACB registered cases of assets disproportionate to known sources of income and corruption against Alok Agrawal, in-charge EE at Kharang Dam division in Bilaspur district, and the three deputy engineers of the same region after raiding their premises on December 30, the official added. 

Also Read: Chhattisgarh to launch industrial policy with 'Make in India' vision