Hyderabad:

In 2024 alone, the ACB has registered disproportionate assets cases against 11 officials, uncovering nearly Rs. 100 crore in declared illegal wealth though unofficial estimates suggest the figure is closer to Rs. 1,000 crore. On the other hand, in just six major cases this year, around Rs. 500 crore worth of unaccounted assets have been found.

In the huge number of disproportionate assets cases in Telangana, massive assets are being seized by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while many officials are being caught, which presents a disturbing picture of rampant embezzlement.

ACB Tightens Grip:

Among the biggest names to be caught this year are former Kaleshwaram engineer-in-chief Hariram and irrigation EE Sridhar. Hariram was earlier allegedly found to possess Rs. 130 crore worth of unaccounted assets as per market value. Sridhar, arrested just this week, is suspected to have assets worth at least Rs. 150 crore, making it the largest single case so far. Deputy Transport Commissioner Puppala Srinivas, arrested in Warangal, was officially found with assets worth Rs. 4.04 crore, though market estimates peg the figure at Rs. 50 crore. These three cases alone account for approximately Rs. 330 crore in illegal assets.

The ACB has intensified its dual strategy, laying traps to catch officials red-handed and conducting surprise searches to expose disproportionate assets. In 2023, about 129 trap cases and 11 asset cases were registered. Bribe money totalling Rs. 82.78 lakh was seized in these trap cases alone. This year, 116 trap cases and 6 disproportionate asset cases have already been registered.

Departments With Public Interaction:

While big-ticket corruption is more common in infrastructure-related departments, trap cases are frequently reported in departments that interact closely with the public, such as police and revenue. This year, 20 trap cases have already been registered against police personnel, mostly involving bribes in the range of lakhs of rupees.

Departments Under Scanner:

Of the six officials arrested in disproportionate asset cases this year, two are from the Irrigation Department and two others are from the Transport Department.

Experts say that departments handling massive infrastructure budgets such as Irrigation, Panchayat Raj, and Roads & Buildings are often linked to high-value embezzlement due to the huge scale of projects under their supervision. Sridhar, for instance, oversaw works worth Rs. 15,000 crore in the Kaleshwaram project.

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