Cuttack: State Vigilance's crack down on public servants demanding and accepting bribe is bearing fruit.

"The drive was launched to prevent and detect corruption in the process of delivery of basic services to the people at the grassroots level and during implementation of development and welfare schemes," said a senior vigilance officer.

During January 10 cases were registered against 11 public servants, which include one Class I officer, five Class II officers, three Class III employees and two Class IV employees on charges of demanding and accepting bribe.

In the first week of this month, six cases have already been registered, marking a quantum rise in the number compared to the corresponding period last month.

"The trap cases of bribery have been registered against officials on complaints received from the public," a vigilance official said on condition of anonymity.

After the cases were registered, the accused were arrested. The complaints were lodged in connection with the delivery and implementation of schemes such as National Mission For Protein Supplements Cluster, Biju Krusak Vikash Yojana, Employees State Insurance Scheme, Indira Awas Yojna, Mo Kudia Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Accoording to official records, panchayat executive officer of Dumerguda gram panchayat in Kalahandi's Dharmagarh Block, Satish Kumar Rath, was caught accepting illegal gratification of Rs 2,000 from Fakir Harijan on February 1. Rath had asked the bribe to clear Harijan's final bill of Rs15, 000 under Indira Awas Yojna.

On February 3, the vigilance sleuths caught MGNREGS assistant in Puri's Pipili block, S. Priyatam, for taking a bribe of Rs 2,000 from Sadasiba Ray. He took the money to clear a bill of Rs 10,000.

On the same day, revenue inspector of Mayurbhanj's Bijatala tehsil, Dilip Kumar Patra, was nabbed while illegally accepting Rs 1,500 from Sanjay Kumar Behera to issue money receipt and not evict his unauthorised shop built on government land.

Two days later, officer-in-charge of Nayagarh's Nuagaon police station, Sachidananda Samantray, was caught taking Rs 2,500 from Jugal Barada. The cop had threatened to cancel the food licence of Barada's restaurant if he was not bribed.

On February 6, technical assistant at a panchayat in Khandamal's Daringibadi block Chitaranjan Baliarsingh, was taken into custody while illegally taking Rs 6,000 from Naha Pradhan to prepare the final bill for construction of a community hall.

A day later, gram rojgar sevak of Rajamunda panchayat in Sundargarh, Sanjita Mahanta, arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs 2,100 from villager Pabitra Kishan.