Govt official demands bribe in front of MLA

Mangaluru: A government employee of the taluk panchayat sought bribe in front of an MLA, claiming that he has to transfer the money to the Finance Department (FD) of the state, on Saturday, September 15^th. The accused has been identified as Sadanand, an Executive Officer (EO) of Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat.

As per sources, Sadananda demanded bribe from some panchayat development officers (PDO) of the taluk to clear some files. He told them that he cannot work if he is not paid money. The GP PDOs concerned complained to Mangaluru North MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty.

The MLA immediately rushed to Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat and questioned Sadanand. But, indifferent to the presence of the MLA, Sadananda informed him that he was compelled to accept bribe as he has to pay to the finance department to get the work done. The finance department demands money to release the gram panchayats fund, he said.

The MLA was visibly appalled by this and warned the erring official to release the fund immediately. He also informed that measures would be taken after complaining to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat. Meanwhile, the video footage of this incident has gone viral on social media.