metro india news  I hyderabad

Officers in Telangana’s power utilities are battlig it out among themselves to land plum positions (Read where they can make quick money through bribes) Often called ‘focal postings’ officials are willing to pay Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore say sources.

Officials say that corruption begins right from the posting stage. Instead of getting transferred based on efficiency or merit, engineers and officers are allegedly paying hefty bribes or using political influence to land these postings. Once they secure the seat, they quickly recover the money through commissions, kickbacks, and underhand dealings. Employees openly admit that a ‘focal posting’ is like hitting the jackpot.

Recent ACB raids have exposed the rot. The Ibrahim Bagh ADE, Ambedkar, was caught with piles of unaccounted wealth — cash, gold, and properties — which stunned even his own department. Insiders claim he spent big money to get that particular posting, and the investment paid off massively. This case has become the talk of the entire power sector, revealing how postings themselves have turned into a marketplace.

Demand for postings around Hyderabad — in Medchal, Gachibowli, Patancheru, Kandukur, Shadnagar, Ibrahim Bagh, RC Puram, and Hitec City — is soaring. These are areas where new connections, commercial loads, and maintenance contracts bring enormous scope for earning bribes. Employees say they start saving well in advance to “buy” these postings. It’s openly discussed that whoever can pay more gets the seat.

Once appointed, the money comes back quickly — many recover it several times over. “Spend one rupee and earn a hundred” has become a common joke within the department, though it reflects the grim reality of how deep corruption has sunk.

Even political influence plays a crucial role. Earlier, directors and CMDs decided on transfers, but now politicians are directly involved. The Ibrahim Bagh example proves this — despite serious allegations, Ambedkar managed to cancel his transfer and retain his position with the help of a key political representative. Employees say such deals are now routine and widely accepted.

Honest officials privately admit that performance and integrity no longer matter. Postings depend only on money power and political reach. “We work hard, but those who pay or have influence get rewarded,” one engineer said, expressing frustration over the system.

SPDCL CMD Musharaf Faruqui has previously said that any employee demanding bribes can be reported to the helpline numbers 040-23454884 and 7680901912, and promised action through the vigilance wing. But several employees believe the surveillance must start at the time of postings themselves. If ACB and vigilance teams monitor the transfer process, they say, the entire chain of corruption could be exposed and broken.

Employees suggest that the government must grant postings only based on merit, integrity, and proven performance. If not, the reputation of both the government and the power corporations will continue to suffer. What began as a service to power homes has now become a power game of another kind — one that fuels greed instead of light. Whether the government will finally act to stop this dangerous current of corruption remains to be seen.