Joda: A classic misutilisation of government funds has come to the fore once again in this municipality of Keonjhar district. A total of Rs 2 crore has already been spent to dig up a large tank, but then work has been stopped midway with no intimation as to when it will be completed. The digging up of the large tank was taken up on 11.68 acres of land located between Kamarjoda and Banspani wards in FY 2019-20. Funds worth Rs 6.31 crore were sanctioned by Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC) for this purpose.
However, many now feel that the Rs 2 crore spent so far has gone down the drain because of misutilisation and misappropriation by government officials. People of Wards No 11 and No 12 are bearing the brunt of the apathy as they have to go without water daily. Chief Engineer Bhaktabandhu Mohanta, who has been working in Joda Municipality for the last 12 years, said the digging work had to be suspended after the state Urban Department issued new guidelines. The new guidelines said that maintenance of the pond will have to be carried out daily and water in the tank should always be transparent.
As the contractor employed was not ready to take additional responsibility, he stopped work. Executive officer Umesh Chandra Sahu said a fresh proposal has been sent to the Odisha government requesting for permission to start the work again under the state-sponsored ‘Ama Pokhari Yojana’. In another case of shoddy planning, the OMBADC has sanctioned Rs 1.68 crore for the renovation of a pond at Banspani despite knowing that it is the property of the Railways. After work started, Railway officials were quick to intervene and they stopped all renovation work. Locals have now demanded a probe into the incident. They want to know why the amount was sanctioned to renovate a pond which is the responsibility of the Railways. When contacted, chief engineer Mohanta said that the Railways authorities were informed about the renovation of the pond. However, they did not allow the work to be taken up.
