Dhar, May 19 (IANS) In a major anti-corruption drive, the Lokayukta Police in Indore arrested Pradeep Kumar Khare, District Project Coordinator of the District Education Centre in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh.

The arrest took place on Monday and has sent shockwaves through the region’s education department.

According to Lokayukta officials, the bribe was allegedly demanded by Khare from a subordinate engineer in connection with the construction of toilets in government schools under the Central government’s flagship ‘Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan’.

A total of approximately Rs 3.42 crore had been sanctioned for the construction of 122 toilets across various government school premises in Dhar district.

The complainant, Dilip Sadhav, who is posted as Assistant Engineer-in-Charge at the District Education Centre and was responsible for overseeing the toilet construction work, lodged a formal complaint with the Indore Lokayukta office after allegedly facing repeated demands for a bribe.

Lokayukta Police acted on the complaint and laid a trap.

Pradeep Kumar Khare was allegedly caught accepting the marked bribe of Rs 1 lakh.

The entire operation was conducted under the supervision of senior Lokayukta officials, and the accused was arrested on the spot.

A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The development has raised serious concerns about the implementation of educational infrastructure projects in the district.

The ‘Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan’ aims to improve basic facilities such as sanitation in government schools, particularly to support girl students and maintain hygiene standards.

However, the alleged involvement of a senior district-level coordinator in demanding a bribe for work that should have been executed smoothly has drawn sharp criticism from local residents and education activists.

This incident comes at a time when the Madhya Pradesh government has been emphasising transparency and accountability in the execution of centrally sponsored schemes.

Officials stated that a detailed investigation is underway to determine whether other officials were also involved in the alleged corruption and to check the quality and progress of the ongoing toilet construction work.

The arrested officer has been sent to judicial custody.

Lokayukta authorities have assured strict action and a time-bound probe to ensure that funds meant for students’ welfare are not misappropriated.

The arrest has been welcomed by parents and teachers, who hope it will deter similar practices within the education department.

–IANS

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