JAIPUR — In a striking blow to institutionalized graft, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has exposed a massive corruption network within the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED). Three high-ranking officials, including a Junior Engineer (JEN) and an Assistant Engineer (AEN), have landed squarely on the anti-graft agency’s radar after demanding a staggering ₹7.85 lakh bribe just to clear a legitimate outstanding contractor bill worth ₹25 lakh.
The operation highlights the deep-rooted extortion practices that contractors routinely face within the department, compounding the ongoing financial distress in public utility ministries.
Extortion Under the Guise of Approvals
The case came to light when an empanelled PHED contractor approached the ACB headquarters with a formal complaint. According to bureau officials, the contractor had successfully completed public infrastructure projects and submitted a legitimate invoice totaling ₹25 lakh.
Instead of routing the file for standard disbursement, the accused JEN and AEN allegedly withheld the paperwork. They laid down a flat condition: the file would only move forward if they were paid an upfront commission of nearly 31% of the total bill value—amounting to ₹7.85 lakh.
The ACB Trap and Broadening Inquiry
Acting swiftly on the contractor’s complaint, the ACB set up an undercover verification process. The agency recorded the preliminary negotiations, establishing clear prima facie evidence of the extortion racket.
Three Officers Implicated: Alongside the core JEN and AEN duo, a third senior supervisory official is under active investigation for orchestrating and authorizing the illegal transaction.
Simultaneous Raids: Bureau teams have initiated extensive search operations at the residential premises and official quarters of the three accused officers to uncover unaccounted cash, luxury assets, and documents related to other bottlenecked contractor invoices.
“A commission demand of over 30 percent just to release a contractor’s hard-earned dues demonstrates absolute institutional impunity,” a senior ACB official stated. “We are expanding the scope of this investigation to check if this specific syndicate was operating a larger extortion ring targeting water supply projects.”
Breaking the Contractor-Official Nexus
This breakthrough comes at a highly sensitive time, as thousands of PHED contractors are already protesting across the state over unpaid dues. This case vindicates the contractors’ long-standing grievances that bureaucratic corruption and deliberate file stalls are forcing local businesses into financial insolvency.
The ACB is expected to make formal arrests following the conclusion of the ongoing raids, sending shockwaves through the department’s administrative ranks.
