Mathura:Asking for commission in lieu of payment of dues for development works proved to be a burden for the Secretary of Gram Panchayat Ading of Govardhan Development Block. The trap team of Agra Vigilance Establishment arrested Gram Panchayat Secretary Manish Bhandari red handed on Friday while taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh. It is alleged that the Secretary had demanded 30 percent commission from the contractor in the name of getting the dues paid. After the vigilance action, the District Panchayat Raj Officer (DPRO) has suspended the accused secretary.
Arrears of development works and demand for 30 percent commission
Various development works including construction of CC road, drain, interlocking and park were carried out in Gram Panchayat Ading during the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. About two crore rupees were spent on these works. Of these, payment of about Rs 30 lakh to contractor Parvez Ahmed was still outstanding. It is alleged that in return for making this payment, Gram Panchayat Secretary Manish Bhandari had asked for 30 percent commission from the contractor. In this, it was decided to give one lakh rupees in advance and the remaining eight lakh rupees after payment.
Vigilance laid trap on contractor's complaint
Troubled by this demand of the Secretary, contractor Parvez Ahmed lodged a written complaint with the Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Establishment, Agra Sector. After receiving the complaint, the Vigilance team conducted a confidential investigation into the matter. After the allegations were confirmed in the investigation, the trap team laid a trap on Friday. As soon as the contractor gave Rs 1 lakh to the Gram Panchayat Secretary as per the fixed plan, the team caught him red handed.
FIR and suspension after arrest, chaos in the department
After the arrest, the Vigilance team took the accused secretary with them. A case has been registered against him under relevant sections related to corruption in Agra police station of Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment. At the same time, after getting information about the matter, the DPRO suspended the Gram Panchayat Secretary. This action of Vigilance has created panic in the department regarding cases of commission taking and corruption in development works.