Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Two officials from the Ambad Panchayat Samiti have been booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 65,000 from a complainant related to Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) beneficiaries.
According to ACB officials, Sachin Kamble (31), a Civil Engineering Assistant (Class-3), and Ramdas Mandal (35), a contractual Gharkul Operator, demanded money to clear the second installment of Rs 70,000 each for 17 approved beneficiaries in a village. The complainant alleged that both officials initially demanded Rs 5,000 per file, totaling Rs 85,000. After negotiations, they agreed to accept Rs 4,000 per file Rs 68,000 in total. The bribe was meant to process survey work and geo-tagging for releasing the payments. The complainant, unwilling to pay, approached the ACB Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar office on May 30. During a verification process, Mandal confirmed the bribe demand, asking Rs 1,500 each for himself and the BDO, and Rs 1,000 for Kamble per case. On May 31, Kamble was caught red-handed accepting Rs 65,000 from the complainant in the presence of witnesses. He was immediately taken into custody. Mandal managed to escape and is currently absconding. A case under Sections 7, 7(A), and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 has been registered at Ambad Police Station Jalna. A search operation is ongoing to trace the second accused.