Anti-Corruption Bureau data reveals scale of graft across departments.
Bribery crackdown in J&K (Photo: File)
JAMMU: A sustained anti-corruption campaign in Jammu and Kashmir has led to 231 government employees being caught accepting bribes since January 2019, according to official data compiled from the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The figures, based largely on complaint-driven trap operations, indicate persistent malpractice across key administrative departments and have renewed scrutiny on governance standards and institutional integrity.
Department-wise data shows the Revenue Department accounted for the highest number of officials apprehended, with 69 employees caught in bribery cases. The Rural Development Department follows with 35 cases.
Other departments where officials were trapped while allegedly accepting illegal gratification include:
Police: 26 employees
Forest Department: 17 employees
Power Development Department: 13 employees
Roads and Buildings Department: 9 employees
Officials said most of these arrests stemmed from structured trap operations designed to catch accused individuals in the act following citizen complaints.
At the district level, Srinagar recorded the highest number of bribery arrests, with 43 officials apprehended. Authorities attribute the high figure to the concentration of administrative offices and government establishments in the city.
Other districts reporting significant numbers include:
Baramulla — 40 cases
Jammu — 24 cases
Ganderbal — 17 cases
Pulwama — 16 cases
Kupwara — 15 cases
Anantnag — 14 cases
Budgam — 14 cases
Bandipora — 9 cases
Kulgam — 8 cases
Rajouri — 8 cases
Udhampur — 6 cases
Doda — 4 cases
Kathua — 4 cases
Poonch — 3 cases
Shopian — 2 cases
Reasi — 2 cases
Ramban — 2 cases
No bribery trap cases were reported from Samba and Kishtwar during the review period.
The data indicates that corruption allegations have extended beyond lower and mid-level functionaries. Since 2019, one Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and 19 officers from the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service have been named in First Information Reports related to corruption cases.
Overall, 515 corruption cases have been registered between 2019 and 2024, underscoring both the scale of enforcement efforts and the breadth of alleged misconduct under investigation.
Officials familiar with anti-graft enforcement said the pattern reflects structural vulnerabilities in service delivery, particularly in departments handling land records, rural development works, infrastructure projects and regulatory clearances—areas traditionally prone to discretionary decision-making. Policy analysts argue that sustained enforcement, expansion of digital governance platforms, time-bound service delivery mechanisms and reduced human interface in approvals will be crucial to curbing systemic corruption and restoring public confidence.
With investigations continuing across departments and districts, authorities maintain that accountability measures will be intensified as part of a broader institutional reform effort.
