Pune Revenue Dept tops in corruption

PUNE: On December 26 last year, a team of officials from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had trapped lawyer Rohit Shende (29) for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 1.70 crore on behalf of a Deputy Director of Land Records Department for helping a complainant secure a favourable ruling in an appeal relating to a land in Parvati.

Three days later, on December 29, the team of officials arrested a Tehsildar from Mulshi, Sachin Dongre (43), for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1 crore from a 64-year-old complainant who wanted to transfer his property to his descendants.

The two cases surprised the district administration officials raising suspicion over the manner in which public servants are offering their services to the people. Despite the Revenue Department, which handles transactions of land deals and land-related issues, continuing to top the chart of corruption cases from the last few years, there is hardly any change in the department’s functioning.

Speaking on the issue, Collector Naval Kishore Ram said, “With the recent cases of bribery and land grabbing, there is a need to pay attention. I will chalk out a plan with the Rural Superintendent to control the problem.” 

Similarly, when it comes to bribery in the district and Pune division, as per the statistics by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Pune registered the maximum number of cases related to government officials taking bribes.

In 2018, Pune division, which includes Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur and Kolhapur districts, registered 200 cases of bribery traps, which is the most when compared to Nanded (92), Thane (108), Aurangabad (119), Nashik (115), Nagpur (121), Amravati (97) and Mumbai (39).

In 2017, Pune division registered 187 cases of bribery traps, which is the most when compared to Nanded (95), Thane (106), Aurangabad (130), Nashik (120), Nagpur (110), Amravati (87) and Mumbai (40).

The Revenue Department continues to be the most corrupt this year as well, with bribery cases being rampant. A total of 218 cases of corruption were revealed and 274 officials, including 5 class I, have been arrested. It was found that bribes were being demanded from people to receive the benefits of several government schemes. 

As per the ACB, revenue officials demand a bribe for making a change of name in the land document, modification of name, to provide 7/12 extract and other land documents, help in land dispute cases, land conversion and other reasons.