Bribery Scandal Rocks Balangir District : Chief Supply Officer Arrested

Balangir's Chief Supply Officer G. Prabhakar Patra was arrested for accepting a bribe, despite recent appeals against corruption by officials. The vigilance raid also uncovered significant cash and gold.

Balangir, Odisha : In a stunning turn of events, the Chief Supply Officer of Balangir district, G. Prabhakar Patra, was arrested by vigilance officers on charges of accepting a bribe. This arrest follows a series of high-profile appeals by government officials to curb corruption in the district.

Two days prior, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo urged district officials during a review meeting to "reject bribes and cease percentage commission (PC) dealings." (Read the news here)

Echoing this sentiment, Balangir MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo reiterated the appeal in a subsequent review meeting held yesterday.

Despite these warnings, G. Prabhakar Patra left the MLA's meeting midway and was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of 50,000 rupees from Ashish Sharma, a rice mill owner, in his office. The vigilance team, acting on a tip-off, apprehended Patra during the transaction. With his bail plea rejected by the vigilance court, Patra has been remanded to judicial custody.

Investigations reveal that Patra had been extorting money from various mill owners since the commencement of the paddy procurement season. Allegations indicate that Patra demanded bribes for lifting paddy from PEX and for processing custom milling bills. Those unable to pay faced delays, while those who complied received preferential treatment, including allocations exceeding their milling capacity.

Farmer leader Laxman Meher, who attended the MLA’s review meeting, confirmed the frequent appeals against bribery and PC dealings. "The MLA repeatedly urged officials to abstain from corrupt practices. Despite this, Patra left the meeting abruptly, only to be caught later by vigilance," Meher stated.

Further scrutiny unveiled that Patra had previously accepted a bribe of 1,30,000 rupees from Sharma. The vigilance raid on Patra's residence yielded 4,39,000 rupees in cash and 260 grams of gold.

The scandal has prompted immediate calls for Patra’s suspension. "He is a corrupt official who has harassed mill owners and farmers. We demand his swift suspension," Meher declared.

The arrest underscores the ongoing efforts to combat corruption within the district, highlighting the need for stringent enforcement of anti-corruption measures.

For further updates on this developing story, stay tuned.