n a trap that has exposed rampant corruption in e-tender system that was started by the state government recently, the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested three officials of PHED. They were members of a tender committee and were caught for taking bribes separately from a contractor.

An executive engineer, an accountant and a PA to the superintendent engineer were arrested for taking bribe of Rs 50,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 11,000, respectively. Officials said the three accused were demanding bribe to approve work order for two tenders in back dates.
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The officials took the money one by one at PHED`s Gandhi Nagar office. DySP, Mahendra Singh Harsana who organized the trap said that executive engineer GR Gupta, junior accountant Dinesh Bhattar and PA to SE Dinesh Arora were arrested on corruption charges.

"A B-class contractor BL Sharma had approached the ACB and lodged a complaint against the three officers who were members of the tender committee," said the officer. The officer said that Sharma had participated in bids for two tenders online through e-tender system launched by the government recently. The tenders were worth Rs 39 lakh and Rs 27 lakh, respectivel.

"The contractor won the technical and financial bids for the tenders and was to get the work order by April 8, however, executive engineer GR Gupta, junior accountant Dinesh Bhattar and PA to SE Dinesh Arora demanded bribes separately. Gupta demanded Rs 64,000, however, he later agreed to take Rs 50,000. Accountant and PA demanded Rs 10,000 and 11,000," said the officer.

Harsana said that after lodging an FIR, the ACB verified the complaint and organized a trap on Thursday. "Contractor Sharma went to Gupta`s office where he said that he had brought the money. Gupta called Arora to his office and asked Sharma to give Rs 50,000 to him. Arora took Rs 11,000 for himself also. The accountant took the bribe in another room," said the officer.

He added that all the three were arrested under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act. "A tender is cancelled if a work order is not issued on a pre-determined date. The trio used to hold the work order beyond this date and issue it in back date if the contractor agreed to pay the bribe," said the officer.

He added that some senior officers of the department are also under scanner. "We have seized records from the office. Further investigation is on," said the officer.