Daijiworld Media Network – Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Dec 17: Chief officer of the town municipality here, A V Ganesh, was nabbed by the Lokayukta police on Friday December 16, when he was accepting bribe from a contractor.

It is said that Ganesh had been pestering the contractor concerned since some time to pay him Rs 30,000 for the release of bills amounting to about nine lac rupees towards works executed. Reportedly, the contractor concerned recorded the conversation between herself and the chief officer on Thursday, in which the chief officer is said to have claimed that he needs to pay one percent of contract amount as commission to the assistant commissioner.

Lokayukta superintendent of police (SP), Jagamayyanavar, deputy superintendent of police, Sadananda Varnekar, and sub-inspector, Dileep Kumar, caught Ganesh red-handed as soon as he picked up a file in which the cash he had demanded was kept.  Ganesh resisted the move, and the Lokayukta personnel, who had conducted the operation at 1.15 pm, could take Ganesh away only at 4.45 pm, during which period, various files were verified by them.

Contractor, Ravindra Bangera, had bagged a contract for works amounting to Rs 35 lac being executed out of the Chief Minister’s fund. After Bangera breathed his last due to cardiac arrest suddenly, the municipal council had agreed to shift the balance works to his wife, Pavitra, on humanitarian consideration.

It is gathered that Ganesh kept the bills of Pavitra pending since long, and every time she approached the chief officer, he repeated his demand for bribe. In the past too, members had raised the topic of harassment of contractors by the chief officer at the council meetings.

After taking Ganesh into custody, the Lokaykta policemen visited the first ward of the municipality to inspect reported irregularities in the execution of ring road works at Maryadi. Sadananda Varnekar, who observed that the asphalting work conducted for 959 metres on this road had been substandard, instructed the concerned to withhold bills. Municipal president, Ratnakar Devadiga, and ward member, Shivaraj Rai, were present during the inspection.

Municipal president, Ratnakar Devadiga, speaking to media persons on the occasion, said that he had on several occasions, warned the chief officer against corrupt practice. He felt that corrupt officials have to be punished.