In telangana, even electricity doesn’t move until corruption does.
A poultry farmer needed a simple transformer connection. What he got instead was a price tag — ₹21,000 under the table. The man demanding it? Shaik Chand Shareef Bhasha, Divisional engineer at TGSPDCL’s medak Division. The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) caught him red-handed, cash in hand, for demanding and accepting the bribe to merely “process” a transformer file.
This isn’t just one case. It’s a snapshot of a nation where power runs through cables of corruption — and even the smallest act of public service comes with a private price.
💸 THE PRICE OF POWER: A TRANSFORMER OR A TRANSACTION?
The story sounds absurd, but it’s terrifyingly routine. A poultry farm owner in medak simply wanted to electrify his setup — a basic utility service that should’ve been smooth, official, and transparent.
Instead, he was told to “settle” the matter with ₹21,000. Not as a fee, but as a favor.
In India’s power sector, files move faster when pockets are greased. What’s worse? Those who get caught are paraded for a day, but none ever see conviction.
In telangana, not a single acb case has reached court for prosecution. The corrupt get caught, headlines get written, and silence returns — until the next bribe flickers to life.
🔌 electricity FOR SALE: CITIZENS PAY, SYSTEM PROFITS
Power, water, and ration — the basics of indian life — have turned into luxury commodities managed by gatekeepers in government departments.
The ACB’s catch isn’t a one-off incident. In rural telangana, stories like this are whispered daily — engineers demanding cuts for clearances, linemen demanding chai-money for repairs, clerks stalling files for “service charges.”
The message is clear: your service request isn’t “pending” — it’s priced.
The electricity that lights homes also fuels the greed of officials. “Current” has two meanings here — one in wires, and one in wallets.
⚖️ zero CONVICTIONS: THE BIGGER SCAM IS SILENCE
The most shocking part isn’t the ₹21,000 bribe — it’s what happens after.
The telangana acb conducts raids with cameras, cash exhibits, and press releases. Yet, not even one case has reached court for prosecution.
Why? Files get buried. Investigations move at a snail’s pace. The system quietly absorbs the noise.
This is corruption’s biggest victory — accountability ends where headlines fade.
When there’s no fear of punishment, bribery becomes a routine administrative charge. And India’s anti-corruption machinery turns into a photo-op factory.
⚔️ CALL FOR A CLEAN-UP: A cbi CELL JUST FOR CORRUPTION
It’s time for a special anti-corruption task force — not under the same state departments that breed the problem, but under CBI’s independent supervision.
A separate CBI unit dedicated exclusively to service-sector corruption could change the game:
Fast-track trials within 6 months.
Digital transparency for all file movements.
Mandatory suspension upon acb charge-sheeting.
Without real institutional fear, every arrested official will be back behind a desk before the ink dries on their bail order.
🧨 THE HUMAN COST: BASIC services AS PRIVILEGE
Corruption doesn’t just drain money — it drains dignity.
When citizens must beg or bribe for electricity, when farmers must pay to irrigate their land, when honesty feels like a disadvantage, governance has failed.
Every ₹21,000 bribe isn’t just theft from the government. It’s theft from hope, from trust, from democracy itself.
⚡️ BOTTOM LINE:
The power runs fine — it’s the system that’s short-circuited.
Until every corrupt official fears justice more than exposure, electricity in india will remain available only after the current of corruption passes through.
Because in today’s india, power doesn’t flow through cables — it flows through cash.
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