Bhubaneswar, July 21: The Odisha Vigilance on Tuesday nabbed a Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) for taking bribe from a widow covered under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana (AGY) in Jajpur district.

Accused identified as Prafulla Kumar Nath, PEO of Kachara Sahi gram panchayat of Korei block in Jajpur district has been apprehended by Odisha Vigilance while demanding and taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 from the poor woman for release of final instalment in her favour.

The Antyodaya Gruha Yojana is a State Government’s flagship rural housing scheme meant for providing pucca houses to homeless individuals.

According to the Vigilance release, the beneficiary who happens to be a poor widow has completed the construction of the house on time.

As per the provision of the AAY scheme, the beneficiary is entitled to get a bonus along with the final instalment if he/she completes the housing project on time. But, accused the PEO demanded bribe Rs 10,000 from the beneficiary to release the final instalment and bonus amount in her favour.

When the beneficiary expressed her inability to pay a bribe of Rs 10,000, he reduced the bribe amount to Rs 5,000. Accused also threatened the beneficiary unless the bribe money was paid to him, he would not release the final instalment and the bonus money in her favour.

Aggrieved over unethical behaviour of the PEO, the victim brought the matter to the notice of the Vigilance authorities.

Accordingly, a trap was laid by the anti-graft officials and the accused PEO was caught red handed while taking bribe Rs 5,000 from the complainant.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches underway at two locations linked to Nath to ascertain possible disproportionate assets.