These two incidents suggest that the Odisha government’s claim of zero tolerance against corruption is nothing but hollow. And, corruption in the State seems to be at its peak despite big promises.
If the data of vigilance raids carried out in the last 15 days is analysed, one thing would emerge that the cases of government officers/employees being involved in corruption are increasing.
In the last 15 days, as many as 10 government officers including a project director of the Water Irrigation Department, an additional tehsildar, a police ASI, a livestock inspector and a Gram Rojgar Sevak (GRS) were caught either for receiving bribe or amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
The increasing cases of government officers coming under vigilance scanner has become a cause of concern for the government. “Odisha Vigilance is strongly committed to taking severe action against corrupt practices of both other departments and our own. Internal Vigilance unit has been activated to keep a watch on vigilance officials,” said Vigilance Director, Yeshwant Jethwa.
Rayagada Excise superintendent Nina Beura was arrested on Saturday, a day after being caught with unaccounted cash of Rs 6 lakh in a car near Khordha. Her husband, Nihar Ranjan Das, who is the IIC of Mahanga police station, has been directed to appear before the Vigilance officer as he was found missing from his residence during raids.
In the second incident, inspector of Sambalpur Vigilance division, Manasi Jena was on Friday caught red-handed while receiving bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a person to close a case against a government official. The person was identified as Mukesh Sahoo. The anti-corruption wing later carried out simultaneous raids at multiple locations in connection with Manasi Jena and Mukesh Sahoo.
“Manasi Jena was arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh through her associates. Both were arrested,” M Radhakrishnan Vigilance SP later informed.
Separate teams of Vigilance officials comprising of eight DSPs, two Inspectors, five ASIs, and other staff are conducting search operations at various places based on the strength of search warrants issued by Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.
The search operations are currently underway at Mohapatra's residential house located at Rudrapur, Balianta, flat located at Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar, house at native village Redhua, relatives’ house at Jadatira in Jagatsinghpur, official residence located at Sundargarh town, Official chamber located at Collectorate Sundargarh and residential accommodation of relative located at OCL campus in Rajgangpur.
As per reports, the raids are likely to continue to detect all the movable and immovable assets of Mohapatra. Vigilance sleuths are currently checking all the documents of Mohapatra.
Earlier on Wednesday, Vigilance sleuths had arrested Manoranjan Nayak, posted as an Assistant Collector at Rourkela in Sundargarh district, for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 2 crore.
The anti-corruption sleuths, comprising officials from Rourkela, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Deogarh had conducted raids at five places owned by Nayak.
(Edited by Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)
The official has been identified as Kishore Nayak.
Based on reliable information, the vigilance sleuths are conducting simultaneous raids at four places including his office at Sakhipara in Sambalpur, his ancestral house at Puri, and also at his residence in Bhubaneswar.
As per reports, the raids are likely to continue to detect all the movable and immovable assets of Nayak. Vigilance sleuths are currently checking all the documents and pass books of Nayak and listing those.
However, Nayak feigned innocence over the matter.
“I have not accumulated any property which is disproportionate to my own source of income. I have been serving OMFED for the last 30 years. My son is also doing a job. I have bought two buildings by loan. No asset has been accumulated illegally,” said Nayak.
In another such incident, Phulbani Vigilance unit officials also conducted simultaneous raids at seven places on the properties associated with K Nuagaon Forest Range Officer Bairagi Charan Behera on allegation of accumulation of disproportionate assets.
Currently the raids are going on at various places in Kandhamal, Ganjam and Boudh.
(Edited by Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)
As per preliminary reports, 213 grams of gold ornaments, Rs 1.58 lakh cash and other valuable household articles have been recovered following raids on the house, office and other places associated with Behera.
The raids were conducted after allegations that Behera has amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Simultaneous searches were conducted by the officers of Balasore division of the Vigilance department at four places.
Sources said the raids were conducted at Behera’s triple storied residential house, farm house at Badampada near Kaptipada, his office at Udala and the house of one of his relatives.
A team of the anti-corruption wing conducted search at district CSO Raja Ali’s office in Balasore.
During the inspection, the Vigilance team unearthed cash of around Rs 2.34 lakh from his office.
This is a developing story.