Bhubaneswar: Vigilance sleuths Wednesday launched a field investigation into irregularities and embezzlement of government funds in the installation of LED street lights across three districts of the state during 2021-22 and 2022-23.
According to sources, acting on reliable information regarding corruption and misappropriation of government funds in the installation of LED streetlights across gram panchayats (GPs) in Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Jajpur districts during 2021-22 and 2022-23, the anti-corruption wing of the state police has launched a detailed enquiry. “To ensure swift and coordinated action, Odisha Vigilance has mobilised 24 teams comprising 81 officers across the three districts, with 27 officers deployed in each district,” the Vigilance said in a statement. During the field enquiry, it was found that the project, Implementation of LED Street Lighting System in One Village of Each GP on a Turnkey Basis, including a comprehensive annual maintenance contract (CAMC), was launched under the Fifth State Finance Commission (5th SFC) devolution grants, the statement said. “During the probe, massive irregularities and violations of tender guidelines were detected.
These include the non-installation of vital components such as energy meters, 500 metres of cable, MCCBs, eye hooks, suspension clamps, dead-end clamps and photo-switch timers for each cluster of 10 LED lights. Despite this, bills were drawn showing these items as installed, leading to the misappropriation of government funds by the executants,” it added. “On-the-spot technical inspections and field enquiries are being conducted today at 50 locations across the three districts to assess the extent of the alleged misappropriation and ascertain the involvement of officials and executing agencies in the project,” the statement said.
