Department heads delay action on bribe-takers in city

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Many corruption cases involving government officials in the city are stalled due to delays in obtaining approval from department heads, preventing timely legal action.

According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), 54 cases in the Sambhajinagar area are awaiting departmental sanction to proceed. The police, agriculture, revenue, and rural development departments have the highest number of pending approvals. At a recent meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, concerns were raised about department heads delaying sanction approvals. The CM directed that those delaying decisions will face strict action to expedite the process. Across Maharashtra, 366 bribery cases are pending clearance, with Sambhajinagar alone accounting for 54. Despite strong evidence and arrests in trap operations, legal proceedings cannot move forward without departmental permission. Many officials are accused of deliberately stalling these approvals to protect accused staff. For non-gazetted government employees, department heads are the competent authorities to approve prosecution. For police officials, different senior officers have authority depending on rank, such as the Director General of Police for Inspectors and the Superintendent of Police for lower ranks. In 2024, 178 bribe-takers were arrested in 111 trap operations in the region. From January to May 2025, 75 officials were arrested in 51 operations in Sambhajinagar.

Pending sanction approvals by department are as follows:

• Police – 12

• Agriculture – 7

• Rural Development – 5

• Revenue, Finance, Forest, and MSEDCL – 3 each

• Other departments have fewer pending cases.

On May 22, the Divisional Anti-Corruption Committee reviewed several cases from Marathwada and ordered fast-track hearings. Departments were urged to act quickly on complaints to ensure timely justice.