Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Friday apprehended Assistant Director of Textiles in Sonepur, Satyananda Behera, and Secretary of a Weavers’ Co-operative Society under Ullunda block, Ramakanta Meher, while allegedly accepting Rs 36,000 bribe.
According to a Vigilance release, it was an instalment of the total Rs 80,000, which they had demanded from trainees, undergoing ‘Skill Up-Gradation Training on TIE & DYE making and Weaving under POHI (Promotion of Handloom Industry)’, to release their training stipend amount.
A trainee is entitled to a stipend of Rs.200 a day during the training period. “As the training was about to end, the trainees were requesting Behera to release their stipend amount. However, he demanded Rs 80,000 as bribe from them,” it said.
The aggrieved trainee reported the matter to Vigilance authorities, who laid a trap and nabbed the duo while accepting Rs 36,000. The entire bribe money was recovered from them and seized.
Simultaneous searches are currently underway at three locations linked to Behera and one to Meher to ascertain whether they have accumulated assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
A case has been registered against them under Section 7 of PC ( Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigation is underway, it added.