Bhubaneswar: A District Resource Person (DRP) working under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme in Odisha’s Bargarh district was apprehended by Odisha Vigilance today for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a beneficiary to facilitate the release of subsidy funds.

The accused, identified as Rakshi Meher, was serving as DRP under the General Manager, District Industries Centre (DIC), Bargarh. She was caught by a Vigilance team while the complainant deposited the bribe amount into her bank account, allegedly following her instructions.

According to Vigilance officials, the complainant had availed a loan of Rs 8.64 lakh on March 15, 2026, to establish a bakery unit under the PMFME scheme. As per the scheme provisions, the beneficiary was eligible for a 35 per cent subsidy amounting to Rs 3,02,400.

After the loan was sanctioned and released, the beneficiary repeatedly approached Meher for the processing and release of the subsidy amount. However, instead of clearing the subsidy file, she allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 as a bribe.

Meher had also sent her bank account details to the complainant through an SMS from her mobile phone and asked him to transfer the money directly into her account.

Unable to bear the alleged harassment and unwilling to pay the bribe, the beneficiary approached the Odisha Vigilance authorities and lodged a complaint.

Acting on the complaint, Vigilance officials laid a trap and apprehended Meher while the complainant deposited Rs 30,000 into her bank account. Her mobile phone and the bank transaction receipt confirming the deposit were seized during the operation.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches were launched at three locations linked to the accused to investigate possible disproportionate assets.

In connection with the case, Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station Case No. 05 dated May 5, 2026, has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway.