Tura: Taking a serious view of the arrest of a block development officer (BDO) red-handed while taking bribe, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Friday said the government wil have a fresh look at the appointment of BDOs. “We have 39 blocks, and only two Meghalaya Civil Service officers occupy the post of BDOs. The rest are either veterinary doctors, agriculturists or others. There is a need to have a fresh look at the appointment of BDOs,” he told reporters, after launching two daily newspapers Tura Times (English) and Salantini Kurang (Garo) here. Langstar Kharkongor, the BDO of Mawryngkneng in East Khasi Hills district, was trapped by sleuths of the crime branch on Tuesday while taking a bribe of Rs 50,000 for releasing a cheque for payment for work under the MGNREGS.
Commending the people who helped the police in catching the BDO, the Chief Minister said, “People should have a strong resolve to root out corruption. The arrest of the BDO has send a strong signal to other corrupt officers.”
Asserting that the government will provide all necessary support to people who come forward against such corrupt officials, Sangma called for a proper social audit for the flagship schemes in which the village authorities are involved.
“People should be sensitized about the inherent guidelines of the schemes so that they can participate in the public hearings and get involved in the social audit system,” he added. (PTI)