Paralakhemundi: Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested three persons — a former Junior Engineer, a Municipal Engineer and a private contractor — for allegedly siphoning off government funds in the renovation of Pattnaik Tank at Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district.
The accused have been identified as former JE D Yudhistir, Municipal Engineer Sanjeev Champati and contractor Surendra Panigrahi.
Vigilance officials said the trio caused a loss of ₹55.69 lakh to the state exchequer through inflated measurement book entries and sub-standard execution of the “Reclamation and Renovation of Pattanaik Tank” project carried out between 2019 and 2022.
According to the investigation, a total of ₹1.22 crore was released to the contractor in three running account bills after statutory deductions. However, an independent technical assessment by Vigilance found that work worth ₹55,69,033 was either not executed or was of poor quality.
Officials alleged that Yudhistir deliberately recorded false and exaggerated measurements in the official Measurement Books for non-existent or deficient work. Champati, who conducted the check measurements, allegedly certified these entries as correct, enabling the release of the inflated payments to Panigrahi.
A case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and forgery, and further investigation is underway.
