Thiruvananthapuram: Graft is rife in government offices and often cash changes hands as public try to bribe employees. Increased vigil on corruption has made public servants cagey about receiving cash at office, but wads of notes pile up in their drawers or even mysteriously appear on their desks as happened at an excise office at Marappalam in Thiruvananthapuram early on July 22. Unfortunately, two civil excise officers have to face punishment for reporting to their superior about the finding of an envelope with Rs 10,000 on the desk of the circle inspector.
Excise commissioner S Aananthakrishnan has ordered civil excise officers V R Bijuraj and K Praveen to undergo 30 days' training on the basis of an inquiry report filed by the deputy commissioner over the incident.
The envelope was spotted by a cleaning worker on the desk of circle inspector T Anil Kumar at the excise office. She opened it and found five Rs 2,000 notes. She immediately informed V R Binuraj who was on general duty in the morning.
When Binuraj contacted K Praveen who was on duty during the previous shift, he denied knowledge about it. He then informed the circle inspector who was on court duty on phone.
Terming that it was done by someone to fix him, Anil Kumar filed a police complaint. The deputy commissioner was asked to carry out an inquiry. He spoke to the housekeeping staff, examined the general diary and submitted the report. The report blames the negligence and lack of vigil of Binuraj and Praveen who were on general duty on July 21 and 22.
Based on the report, both Binuraj and Praveen were sent to the excise training academy in Thrissur for 30 working days' punishment training. They won't get travel allowance for the trip, the commissioner’s order said.
The commissioner also asked the joint excise commissioner to conduct a detailed probe.
Praveen had contested elections to the district committee on the Congress panel in the excise staff association election held last month. It is not known if vested interests have a political score to settle with him.
At the same time, employees are suspicious about the finding of the money in an office that is frequented by bar owners and others seeking licence renewal and other issues.