Chandigarh, May 5, 2025 —(Harbans singh)
Punjab Government’s fight against corruption has gained further momentum as the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested a government official in Amritsar following a complaint lodged through the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line. The vigilance operation underscores the growing success of this public initiative, which has become a powerful tool in empowering citizens and exposing corrupt practices across government offices.
Disclosing this an official spokesperson of VB informed that the arrested accused has been identified as Satnam Singh, Superintendent at the Block Development and Panchayats Office (BDPO), Verka Block, Rani-Ka-Bagh, Amritsar, who had demanded a bribe of Rs 60,000 from a resident of village Nabipur, district Amritsar in exchange for official action on an encroachment complaint.
He further added that the complainant had informed that he had submitted a complaint to the BDPO Verka, Lakhwinder Kaur, concerned the illegal occupation of the approach road to his residence by his neighbour Gurwinder Singh. The BDPO had marked the matter to the said Superintendent, who in turn instructed Junior Engineer Mohit Kumar and Panchayat Secretary Ashok Kumar to verify the facts.
The verification revealed that the encroachment on government land was genuine, leading to a penalty of Rs 3,284 being imposed. Despite repeated notices, the encroacher failed to comply, prompting the BDPO office to request police assistance to remove the illegal structures.
However, instead of proceeding with due legal action, Superintendent Satnam Singh had demanded Rs 50,000 to “facilitate” further steps, instructing the complainant to pay Rs 20,000 as an advance. The complainant transferred Rs 10,000 via Google Pay to Satnam Singh’s account. Subsequently, the illegal pillars were removed with police assistance.
Further retaliation by the neighbour, who blocked the village drainage, led the complainant to approach the accused again. Satnam Singh reportedly told the complainant to stay silent about the bribe or risk further inaction regarding the drainage issue.
The VB verified all facts before registering a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Satnam Singh at the VB Police Station, Range Amritsar. He would be presented before the competent court tomorrow. The role of BDPO Lakhwinder Kaur is under scrutiny and would be investigated further, the spokesperson added.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau reaffirmed its zero tolerance policy against corruption and urged citizens to actively report any instances of bribery or misconduct by government officials. “The Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line is a weapon in the hands of the people. We call upon all citizens to come forward without fear. Timely reporting leads to timely action,” the VB stated.
