Tehsildar demanding bribe, Capt mum, claims Cong MLA

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 15

In an embarrassment to the Congress government, a party MLA has accused a tehsildar of demanding Rs 15,000 in bribe from a senior Congress functionary for registration of a plot while regretting no action has been taken against the official by the Capt Amarinder government in the one-month-old incident.

Claiming that he had filed a complaint to the Chief Minister, DGP, and Vigilance Department seeking action, Shutrana MLA Nirmal Singh said he was feeling helpless because nothing had been done in the case so far.

“I am saddened by the fact that the tehsildar told me ‘bribe will have to be given for the registration (of a plot). You can pay a little less, but you will have to shell out the money’,” claimed the Congress MLA. Singh said he had even met the minister concerned against the tehsildar, but he too refused to take action.

The MLA said a former market committee chairman, Jai Pratap, had approached him complaining that he (Partap) was asked to pay a bribe by the tehsildar.

“I called him (tehsildar) and told him it was wrong to ask for a bribe. He, however, refused to relent,” alleged Nirmal Singh. “Why has no action been taken against the tehsildar? In fact, people have given affidavits to the administration claiming he was demanding bribe.” The tehsildar concerned refused to comment.