Koraput: Vigilance sleuths on Friday arrested a livestock inspector posted at Raighar in Nabarangpur district for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 80,000 from a beneficiary for releasing the subsidy under the state govt’s Mukhyamantri Kamadhenu Yojana.Accused Prafulla Haldar, livestock inspector at the office of the chief district veterinary officer, was caught red-handed in a trap laid by a vigilance team.According to vigilance officials, the complainant had been selected as a beneficiary under the Mukhyamantri Kamadhenu Yojana, which provides financial assistance to dairy farmers for establishing units with one to five cows. Haldar allegedly demanded Rs 80,000 to facilitate the release of the subsidy.The accused also allegedly threatened to block not only the complainant’s subsidy but also those of other beneficiaries from the same village if the bribe was not paid.“Finding no other means, the beneficiary approached Vigilance Directorate, Odisha. Acting on his complaint, the trap was laid,” a Vigilance release said.Officials said the entire bribe amount of Rs 80,000 was recovered from the possession of the accused, and seized in the presence of witnesses.Following the trap, simultaneous searches were launched at two locations linked to Haldar to ascertain whether he had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.“We have registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigation is on,” the release said.
