Gajapati: Odisha Vigilance Wednesday arrested a former Junior Engineer (JE), a Municipal Engineer (ME), and a private contractor in connection with the alleged misappropriation of government funds amounting to Rs 55,69,033 in the restoration and renovation of Pattnaik Pond at Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district.
According to Vigilance, a total of Rs 1,22,40,700 was released through three RA bills between 2019 and 2022 for the restoration and renovation of Pattnaik Pond. During the investigation, it was alleged that former JE D. Yudhishthir recorded false and inflated measurements in the official Measurement Book (MB).
Subsequently, Municipal Engineer Sanjeeb Champati verified and certified those measurements as correct. Based on these records, payments were made to contractor Surendra Panigrahi.
An independent technical verification conducted by Vigilance revealed that substandard work and fraudulent measurements had caused a loss of Rs 55,69,033 to the government exchequer.
Following the findings, Odisha Vigilance registered a case (07/2026) at the Brahmapur Vigilance Police Station against the three accused under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, along with Sections 120-B, 409, 420, 468, 471 and 477-A of the Indian Penal Code.
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