Phulbani: People of Kutia Kondh community have alleged massive irregularities in implementation of Odisha PGTV Empowerments and Livelihoods Programme (OPELIP) at Tumudibandh area of Kandhamal district.
Expressing their discontent over the alleged scam, the tribals said that an agency named ‘Sourabh’ has been tasked to execute the programme in the area but it has misappropriated huge funds.
In protest against the scam, tribals took out a rally Thursday and alleged that the agency has been looting crores of rupees without properly implementing the programme in three panchayats namely Belghar, Guma and Bilamal.
Hundreds of tribals staged protests and submitted a memorandum to the Kutia Kondh Development Agency. They stated that for the last two years, the agency has been implementing the programme. It had earlier assured that all works will be done through the village development committees but the village development committees (VDC) have not been handed over their works.
Additionally, neither the funds nor the high yielding variety seeds have been supplied to the VDCs.
The tribals alleged that Agriculture officer Akshay Kumar Parida has taken away Rs 18 lakh in the name of the agency to provide seeds. In return, the VDCs have been supplied with some seeds and fertilisers.
The tribal leaders demanded an impartial probe into the irregularities and warned of agitation if no step was taken in this regard.