By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Today i.e on 19.03.2026, a short while ago, Sri Simadri Srikanta Rao, Assistant Director (Technical), Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA), Bhubaneswar has been apprehended by Odisha Vigilance while demanding and taking bribe Rs. 10,000/- from an agency for signing the Performance Certificate required for release of the balance amount towards installation of a 60 KW Solar Power Plant at WALMI (Water and Land Management Institute), Cuttack*.
For the release of the pending bills towards the installation of the above said solar plant, the executant, on behalf of the agency , had been requesting the Asst. Director Sri Rao for some time past. But, Sri Rao was demanding bribe Rs.30,000/- from the executant to sign performance certificate for release of the pending amount in favour of the agency even after completion of the work.
However, Sri Rao reduced the bribe amount to Rs.10,000/- on negotiation. Being aggrieved by the demand of the bribe, the executant approached the vigilance authorities about the matter. Following this, today, a team of Odisha Vigilance nabbed Sri Rao, Asst. Director while taking bribe Rs. 10,000/- from the executant. *The entire tainted bribe money Rs.10,000/- has been recovered from the exclusive possession of accused Sri Rao and seized*.
