In a significant development, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday apprehended an Incharge Block Forester of Budugam Tulail in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district, on charges of demanding and accepting a bribe.
An ACB official told Rising Kashmir that the accused, identified as Mohd Sultan Bhat, incharge Block Forester of Badugam Tulail, resident of Ayatmulla Bandipora, was caught red-handed while accepting a sum of Rs 30,000 from a contractor.
He said that the bribe was allegedly demanded in exchange for forest clearance for a project being carried out under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme of the Government of India.
The arrested forester was allegedly exploiting the lack of forest clearance as leverage to demand illegal gratification from the contractor, he said.
He further said that the contractor, who was executing work in a remote area of Bandipora district under the JJM scheme, approached the ACB with a complaint regarding the unlawful demand made by the accused.
The ACB swiftly took action upon receiving the complaint and laid a trap to catch the forester in the act, official said adding that the accused was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount from the contractor.
“We are determined to root out corruption from all levels of governance and will continue our efforts to create a corruption-free society where citizens can avail public services without any undue influence or unlawful demands”, the official added.
Pertinent to mention that the Jal Jeevan Mission, a flagship program of the Indian government, aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water to rural households through individual household tap connections by 2024. The scheme is also being implemented in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
