ACB nabs Kothagudem GPO taking Rs 15,000 bribe; first case since VRO/VRA system revival

First trap since system revival

This marks the first such case since the revival of the VRO/VRA system in the state.

Monday’s trap is the first ACB operation involving a GPO since the cadre’s reinstatement. The incident has triggered concern within administrative circles about the re-emergence of corruption in grassroots revenue offices.

Bribe was demanded for Pattadar Passbook

The accused, Banavath Srinivas Naik, serving as the GPO of Pusugudem revenue cluster, had allegedly demanded a total bribe of Rs 60,000 from a farmer for registering and issuing a pattadar passbook pertaining to 2.30 acres of agricultural land in survey number 254/AA of Vemukunta village.

According to ACB officials, the complainant had already paid Rs 30,000 through PhonePe and another Rs 10,000 in cash earlier. When Naik insisted on collecting the remaining Rs 20,000, the complainant approached the ACB.

Based on the complaint, officials laid a trap and caught the officer while accepting Rs 15,000 at the tahsildar's office.

Former VRO among newly appointed GPOs

Srinivas Naik was among the former Village Revenue Officers (VROs) and Village Revenue Assistants (VRAs) who were reappointed as Grama Paripalana Officers by the Congress government last month.

The earlier BRS government had scrapped the VRO/VRA system following multiple corruption complaints, redeploying the staff to other departments. The Congress government, under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, revived the model in September, issuing fresh appointment orders to the former revenue staff.

Higher officials under scanner

ACB Khammam Range DSP Y Ramesh said preliminary investigations suggested that the accused might have demanded the bribe on behalf of higher officials.