Ranchi, Dec. 31: The newly christened anti-corruption bureau (ACB) - the state cabinet renamed vigilance bureau in August 2015, sanctioned more personnel and opened branches outside the capital too - has had a successful run this past year, trapping as many as 54 bribe-takers in government offices successfully.
The ACB received 76 complaints of corruption against government officials in 2015 out of which 54 were caught.
Though most are third and fourth grade employees, pointing to the fact that the government headed by chief minister Raghubar Das, who also takes care of cabinet (vigilance) department including the ACB, is yet to check corruption at the higher echelons of bureaucracy and police, the sheer rise in trap cases - as nabbing bribe-takers red-handed is commonly known - from 36 in 2014 to 54 in 2015 is seen as a big improvement.
In 2012 and 2013 too, the trap cases were only 29 and 25.
The 2015 figure of 54 also happens to be the second highest since the history of Jharkhand's birth. In 2002 it was 64.
"We have improved," said IG ACB Murarilal Meena. "The state government has shown commitment to fight corruption. For the first time, many police personnel were also trapped in bribe cases."
Speaking on how the ACB has widened its scope, he said: "Earlier, the ACB had its office in Ranchi only. Now, the state government has opened ACB's regional branches in Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh, Dumka and Palamau. Obviously, cases have increased."
The state government sanctioned more posts for ACB, from 258 to 608. "Postings are underway," Meena said.
He added they also lodged many disproportionate assets cases and arrested the accused.
The ACB handles cases pertaining to bribes, accumulation of disproportionate assets and those that the high court specifically hands over.
Besides catching officials red-handed in bribery cases, the ACB has also been investigating DA case against director of state PF directorate Paramjeet Kaur; an IAS ranked official; Bihari Lal Mandal, then assistant excise commissioner posted at East Singhbhum; executive engineer Yadvendra Singh, junior engineer Chandrabhushan Paswan and three others posted at rural works department in Ramgarh on the order of chief minister Das.
