Odisha Vigilance officials apprehended Satyananda Behera, Assistant Director of Textiles and In-Charge Deputy Director of Textiles in Subarnapur, along with Ramakanta Meher, Secretary of a Weavers’ Co-operative Society under Ullunda Block, on Friday.

The duo was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 36,000/as the first instalment of an overall demand of Rs 80,000 from trainees enrolled in a government-sponsored skill development program.

The incident revolves around the “Promotion of Handloom Industry” (POHI) scheme, under which trainees were undergoing skill up-gradation training in Tie & Dye making and Weaving. As per the scheme’s guidelines, each trainee is entitled to a daily stipend of Rs 200 during the training period. With the program nearing completion, th

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