Bhubaneswar: In another case of embezzlement of funds, an RTI application alleged that about Rs 120 lakhs were spent by Deogarh city Collector and SP respectively for repair and renovation of their residence quarters.
Filed by an RTI activist from Mayurbhanj district, the application mentioned that while the Deogarh Collector has spent about Rs. 90 lakhs, the SP used about Rs. 30 lakhs for repair and renovation of residence quarters in past five years
“While the residence of Deogarh Collector showed utilization of funds to the tune of Rs.14.34 lakhs, Rs. 3.68 lakhs, Rs.8.08 lakhs and Rs. 26.80 lakhs during 2016-19, the residence of SP showed misuse of funds to the tune of Rs. 7.17 lakhs, Rs. 2.39 lakhs, Rs. 13.16 lakhs and Rs. 7.49 lakhs for the same period,” the RTI application stated.
As per the official rules, a special permission is needed for spending more than Rs 5 lakh which invites tender process. However, the RTI also mentioned that about 14 renovation works amounting to Rs. 63.41 lakhs were sanctioned by the collector’s office during 2018-19 with the project cost of each head of expenditure deliberately kept below Rs 5 lakh thereby inviting no tender.
Earlier this year, the Odisha government had transferred Rashmita Panda, District Collector of Sundargarh, who was accused of splurging Rs70 lakh on the renovation of her official residential quarters within a period of six months.
In an another RTI plea, Pradip Pradhan, the convenor of the Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan, a forum of Right to Information activists uncovered the expenditure details available of Rashmita Panda . Rs 4.04 lakh was estimated for fixing mosquito nets, plastic emulsion painting work was done at Rs4.45 lakh, external and internal electrification of the quarters was estimated at close to Rs10 lakh and construction of drains and a portico was estimated at Rs 4.44 lakh.
