Odisha Acts Against 6 Officials For Inefficiency, Corruption

Bhubaneswar: As part of its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, the Odisha government on Friday ordered the compulsory retirement of two officers and dismissal of four others for corruption and inefficiency.

Narayan Tiadi, working as assistant engineer in the rural water supply and sanitation division in Bargarh was one of the two officers retired compulsorily.

The action was taken against him for gross inefficiency and lack of integrity while discharging his duty, official sources said.

He was earlier booked by the anti-corruption department's vigilance wing for acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income and was unauthorisedly absent from duty for a long time, they said.

Similarly, Gyanendra Patel, assistant engineer in the office of the engineer-in-chief, was also given compulsory retirement with immediate effect for remaining absent from duty for long, they said.

Four officers were dismissed from service after being convicted in vigilance cases including ex-stipendiary engineer of Dasarathpur block in Jajpur, Sanjay Kumar Choudhary.

Also dismissed were Pradeep Kumar Ray, an ex-supervisor working in the office of general manager, district industries centre at Nuapada and ex-stipendiary engineer, Banki block, Bigyan Kumar Beuria, who was working as an assistant executive engineer in Pundal sub-division under northern irrigation division in Jagatpur, Cuttack, they said.

Ex-junior engineer, Nimapara, Amiya Kumar Sethi, who is working in the housing and urban development department, was also dismissed from service for conviction in a vigilance case, sources said.

Since August 2019, as many as 59 officers have been dismissed, 12 given compulsory retirement and pension of 11 other officers stopped in the ongoing anti-corruption drive launched by Odisha government following a directive from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

(PTI)