Furore over bribe demand by two officials of Lakhimpur DTO

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: A video clip of two assistant enforcement inspectors of Lakhimpur District Transport Office demanding bribe has jolted the Transport Department of the State. The issue has already compelled the District Transport Officer (DTO) to write a letter to the Director concerned seeking their punishment.

As per allegation, these two assistant enforcement inspectors seized a dumper at Laluk which was carrying sand gravel. They ordered the driver and the workers to unload the materials or pay them Rs. 20,000. The owner of the dumper alleged that under such circumstances he was compelled to pay them Rs. 15,000 through the driver. Later, the assistant enforcement inspectors instructed the driver to pay Rs. 4,000 each month to them. This development, which took place on Saturday, was captured on a hidden camera.

The incident has provoked strong reactions in the district and several organizations initiated protest programmes on Monday demanding punishment of the accused persons. The activists of the Asomiya Yuva Mancha (AYM) burnt the effigy of the State Transport Minister in front of the Lakhimpur District Transport Office alleging his failure to control the corruption rampantly going on in his department, sponsored by a section of greedy officials and employees. The protesters rocked the office campus by shouting various slogans against the accused and the Transport Minister.

Leading the protest programme, AYM central committee organizing secretary Anupam Saikia became vocal against the accused assistant enforcement inspectors. He alleged that the authority concerned had not initiated any steps to control the corruption in Lakhimpur DTO despite consecutive allegations raised against a section of officials.

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