Agriculture department official caught red-handed while accepting bribe in Karnataka

NT Correspondent

Mangaluru: A deputy director of the agriculture de par tment was caught red-handed by Lokayukta personnel while accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh.

Bharatamma, deputy director of agriculture, Mangaluru, had asked for the bribe in exchange for processing a bill concerning the funds allocated for acquiring saplings for plantation under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.

The complainant, N P Paramesh, had been serving as a range forest officer (RFO) in the forest department on deputation to the watershed department of the agriculture department and he had retired from service on August 31.

There was an outstanding amount of Rs 50 lakh owed to nursery owners and contractors for the saplings they had provided. The complainant had contacted Bharathamma on October 4 and requested her to settle the bill.

However, the official demanded a bribe amounting to 15 per cent of the total bill for its clearance.

On October 20, the complainant revisited her to inquire about the bill, and at that point, she reduced the bribe amount to Rs 1 lakh. He later lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta, following which the official was arrested on Saturday.

Lokayukta superintendent of police C A Simon said here on Sunday that Bharathamma has been arrested and will be presented in court.

The operation was executed under the supervision of Lokayukta SP, with the assistance of Deputy SP Kalavathi, B Chaluvaraju, inspector P Suresh Kumar and other personnel.