Despite strict rules to curb corruption and bring transparency in the system, the senior officials and employees are not hesitating to take bribes in Haryana. Haryana is witnessing an acute spike in corruption cases. Be an IPS, HCS or any other employee, these officials continue to get involved bribe-taking along with other irregularities, which is matter of serious concern.
The official data reveals that as many as 66 government officials, including several high-ranking officers and employees, have been caught red-handed by the State Vigilance Bureau taking bribes ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.
It is pertinent to mention the state’s police department ranks at the top, when it comes to corruption as these corruption cases have become a regular affair, which continues to bring embarrassment and humiliation to the department.
Apart from this, a string of other departments namely revenue, electricity, education are also on the radar of the State Vigilance Bureau.Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has said that corrupt officials and employees are under the government’s scanner.
According to the official information as of June 17, 2022, the Haryana State Vigilance Bureau has caught eight accused including – an SDO, two junior engineers, two police officials, a tubewell helper and two private persons, red-handed in the last 24 hours while accepting bribes worth Rs 2.62 lakhs in separate incidents in Karnal, Kurukshetra and Faridabad districts.
A spokesperson of the State Vigilance Bureau said that in the first case, Manish Lamba, SDO and Pawan Kumar, Junior Engineer of the UHBVN posted at Nissing, Karnal and private driver of the SDO were caught with Rs 1 lakh bribe money. They have allegedly taken bribes from a farmer for removing power lines from his fields at Nissing.
In another case, the Vigilance Bureau has arrested sub-inspector Jaikaran posted as Incharge Police Post, Sector-7, Kurukshetra and Lady ASI Kiran of Woman Police Station, Kurukshetra red-handed while accepting Rs 60,000 bribe.
In a separate case, a bureau’s team has caught Junior Engineer, Kapil Bhardwaj of Municipal Corporation, Faridabad along with Yogesh Kumar a tubewell helper red-handed while accepting Rs 1 lakh bribe on the complaint of Sudhir Vasdev.
In yet another case, a vigilance team from Faridabad arrested Ankur Soni, a private person, while accepting Rs 2,000 bribe in lieu of making a correction in the complainant’s ration card.
In view of the prevailing situation, the Haryana government has set up the Divisional Vigilance Bureau to investigate complaints up to Rs 1 crore. Concerned officials will no longer have to seek permission from the headquarters level for the said investigation.
In a bid to curb the corruption and to speed up the investigation, the government has permitted four retired CBI officers and their services to be taken into the bureau. Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had announced the formation of a new high-powered committee against corruption.