Bhubaneswar, 10 June (H.S.): Odisha Vigilance officials have apprehended Junior Engineer Susmita Oram for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 from a contractor in Bargarh district.

Oram, posted at Gaisilet Block, had allegedly demanded a total of Rs 32,000 from the contractor to facilitate the clearance of pending bills related to a road improvement project under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). According to a press release from the Vigilance Directorate, Oram had already received Rs 24,000 in earlier instalments and was demanding the remaining Rs 8,000 when the contractor reported the matter to the authorities.

Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officers laid a trap and apprehended Oram while she was accepting the bribe. The entire amount was recovered from her possession and seized as evidence. Simultaneous searches were also conducted at two locations linked to her to ascertain the presence of any disproportionate assets.

Preliminary information suggests that the estimated project cost was Rs 9.5 lakh, of which Rs 3.15 lakh had already been disbursed. Oram reportedly demanded a 10% commission on the paid bill amount to process further payments.

A case has been registered against her under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation is ongoing.

Significantly, Oram had joined government service in January 2024 and this was her first posting.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda