Sambalpur, Sept. 13: Sleuths of Sambalpur vigilance division yesterday recovered Rs 1.7 lakh from the rest room of peons at unified check gate on Bargarh-Chhattisgarh border at Luhurachatti in Sohela police station limits in Bargarh district.

An amount of Rs 97,280 was also recovered from the rest room of private security guards situated on the premises of the check gate complex, said a senior vigilance officer.

While the private security guards admitted to the collection of illegal money from the trucks plying through the gate, the sales tax peons failed to explain why they possessed the cash in their rest room.

An official source said: "An inquiry is being initiated against the erring officials in this regard."

The probe is expected to unearth the organised racket at the check gate where agents call the shots.

The truck drivers approach the agents, security guards and peons for settlement of dues and passage of unaccounted goods in return of money at that unified gate. This is the first time that a surprise check was undertaken.

Earlier, following allegation that doctors, especially in remote areas of the district, go on unauthorised leaves, the officials of the Sambalpur vigilance division had conducted a surprise check in the government hospitals of the division on September 8 and found it to be true. At some hospitals, it was found that pharmacists were maintaining the outdoor register and giving first aid to the patients in absence of doctors.