Odisha Vigilance officials today apprehended a Gram Panchayat staffer in Mayurbhanj district while he took a bribe from a poor farmer under the MGNREG scheme.

On December 6, 2025, Vigilance sleuths nabbed Hemanta Kumar Behera, Accountant-cum-Data Entry Operator (ADEO) of Talapada GP, Badasahi Block, after he demanded and accepted ₹2,500 from a beneficiary. The farmer had sought the generation of a work code for a sanctioned farm pond in his favour.

Moreover, under MGNREGS, farm pond benefits primarily target marginalised groups such as SC/ST, BPL, and small or marginal farmers. The beneficiary had been requesting Behera for over a month to generate the code, which is mandatory for issuing a work order. Instead, Behera allegedly demanded a bribe.

Consequently, the farmer, unable to pay,

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