Angul, Odisha: Odisha Vigilance officials arrested a medical officer in Angul district after allegedly catching him red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 49,000. Officials said the officer demanded the money from Community Health Officers in exchange for clearing their pending incentive payments.
The arrest took place at the Community Health Centre, Kaniha, where the accused worked as the Medical Officer. The case has once again raised concerns about corruption affecting frontline healthcare workers and the timely release of payments meant to support public health services.
According to the complaint, the medical officer allegedly demanded bribes from Community Health Officers, especially women CHOs, to process their pending monthly incentives under the National Health Mission.
Officials stated that CHOs are entitled to incentives of around Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per month, but the accused reportedly asked for about Rs 3,000 from each CHO as a condition for clearing their dues. When the CHOs did not pay individually, the officer allegedly held back their files, delaying the release of the payments.
For many health workers, these incentives form an important part of their income and help them manage daily expenses. The delay reportedly caused frustration and financial stress among the affected CHOs.
After receiving the complaint, Odisha Vigilance verified the allegations and planned a trap operation. Officials said 16 CHOs came together and arranged the demanded amount as part of the planned action.
During the operation, the vigilance team caught the medical officer while he was accepting the bribe money inside the CHC premises. Officers recovered the full Rs 49,000 from his possession and took him into custody immediately.
Following the arrest, vigilance officials carried out searches at places linked to the accused to check for further evidence. Reports said the team searched his government quarters at Kaniha and also conducted searches connected to his family, including a residence in Rourkela.
The authorities are also looking into whether the accused had assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Odisha Vigilance registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials said they will take further action based on the findings.
(Rh/ARC)