Bhubaneswar: The works relating to restoration of power in different parts of the city are now mired in controversy. Many officials and ground workers who have been entrusted with the task of restoring electricity have found a way to mint money by demanding bribes from the cyclone-hit victims of the city.
Several residents of Bhubaneswar Saturday complained that the electricity department is now openly demanding bribes to restore electricity at the earliest as panicked citizens from unconnected areas are lining up at their nearest electricity offices pleading for early restoration of power.
The corrupt attitude of the staff is leading to loss of confidence on the department at a time when the residents are trying to recover from the aftermaths of the cyclone. It is also defaming the ruling party as victims are now pressurised to shell out more to avail the facilities.
“Each household in our area had to pay Rs 200 each as the ground level workers started giving vague answers on connectivity time. They told us about problems which could delay the works. However, some of them told that a bribe can accelerate the restoration works,” said AK Mohanty, a resident of Laxmisagar.
Another resident from Jharpada said that ground-level workers who come to assess the restoration work are opting for corrupt practices to provide relief to the cyclone hit victims of the city.
“First, we did not have electricity for a week. We spent thousands on rented generators and pumps. Now, even the electricity restoration workers are asking us to shell out money instead of helping us. Victims should not be further victimised by the department,” he said.
When asked about the issue of rampant corruption in the electricity department, Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Secretary Sanjay Singh said, “Such practices are not acceptable and such matters would be looked into and dealt with strictly.”
Manish Kumar, OP