Bhubaneswar
“Vigilance is Winning People’s Trust
Odisha Vigilance today caught Siba Mallick, OAS, Tahsildar of Mahakalpada, while he was accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 from a complainant. The money was demanded for removing an illegal encroachment on Government land that had blocked the complainant’s access to his house.
Instead of performing his lawful duty, the Tahsildar had told the complainant that unless he paid the bribe, the eviction file would remain pending for years. Left with no choice, the complainant reported the matter to the Vigilance authorities.
A Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Mallick red-handed in his office chamber while receiving the bribe. The entire amount has been recovered from his possession.
Following the trap, Vigilance officials have launched simultaneous searches at six locations linked to Mallick and his associates to trace disproportionate assets.
This incident once again highlights how some officials, forgetting their duties, exploit people instead of serving them. Such corruption tarnishes the dignity of the OAS cadre and erodes public trust. However, the proactive action of Odisha Vigilance is successfully restoring faith among citizens.