Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Friday apprehended Assistant Director of Textiles in Sonepur, Satyananda Behera, and Secretary of a Weavers’ Co-operative Society under Ullunda block, Ramakanta Meher, while allegedly accepting Rs 36,000 bribe.

According to a Vigilance release, it was an instalment of the total Rs 80,000, which they had demanded from trainees, undergoing ‘Skill Up-Gradation Training on TIE & DYE making and Weaving under POHI (Promotion of Handloom Industry)’, to release their training stipend amount. ADVERTISEMENT

A trainee is entitled to a stipend of Rs.200 a day during the training period. “As the training was about to end, the trainees were requesting Behera to release their stipend amount. However, he demanded Rs 80,000 as bribe from them,” it said.

The

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