Rourkela: The Odisha vigilance Thursday caught a tahasildar of Sundaragada district with Rs 5 lakh of suspected ill-gotten cash, officials said.
Acting on a tip-off, vigilance sleuths intercepted the Lathikata tahasildar-cum-sub-registrar’s vehicle near Rajabasa Chhak in Sundaragada district when he was moving towards Rourkela city and seized the cash from his possession, an officer said.
The tahasildar failed to explain the source of the cash satisfactorily. So, the cash along with his official vehicle was seized, the vigilance officer said.
Following the raid, simultaneous searches have been launched at three locations linked to the officer, he said.
The vigilance department has also arrested the block programme manager (National Health Mission), Kujang community health centre in Jagatsinghpur district, after catching him while taking a Rs 20,000 bribe from a staff member, he stated.
The programme manager demanded the bribe from an ASHA worker, threatening to prepone her retirement on the basis of her age as per Aadhar card.
The health worker has two more years of service based on the date of birth mentioned in her school leaving certificate. But there is an error in her Aadhaar card, the vigilance officer said.