Bribe demand: Jhansi power officials penalised

LUCKNOW: The chief engineer and superintending engineer of Jhansi were attached to head office of the Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam in Agra , while SDO Sipri, and junior engineer of Sipri were suspended after allegations of bribe demand against them were found prima facie true by the inquiry committee on Monday.

Meanwhile, FIR was lodged against the contractual employee who demanded the bribe from the consumer.

Chairman, UPPCL Alok Kumar said that during visit to Jhansi on Sunday, energy minister Shrikant Sharma received a complaint from a resident that the staff of Sipri was not giving him power connection and asking for bribe.

The resident belonged to below poverty line category and was entitled to free connection. When the minister went through the files he found several connections pending despite applications being received more than a week ago.

The officials were not able to explain the delay behind issuing connections to below poverty line (BPL) families.

On the minister’s directives, an inquiry was constituted by MD Dakshinanchal SK Varma, in which the allegations were found true.

As a result, action was taken against all the erring engineers and a contractual employee who was the front face in the demand for bribe.

Chief engineer Jhansi, Sahdev Singh Goyal and superintending engineer Rakesh Varma have been attached to Agra office of Dakshinanchal.

Sub Divisional Officer Chandresh Singh Tomar and Junior engineer Hari Om Kushwaha have been suspended with immediate effect. They would be charge-sheeted soon, said MD Daskhinanchal SK Varma.