Bhubaneswar: Continuing its policy of zero tolerance towards corruption, the Odisha government on Tuesday sent 5 officers on compulsory retirement for resorting to dishonest practices.
The five officers, who have been issued the notice of compulsory retirement include an engineer, a police inspector, a revenue supervisor, an SDPO and an Anganwadi supervisor. With this, 146 officials have so far been suspended or sent on retirement by the government for resorting to corrupt practices.
One of the officers, who has been issued compulsory retirement notice, is an Assistant engineer of ITDA, Baripada in Mayurbhanj. He was arrested on charges of having properties disproportionate to his known sources of income amounting to Rs 2.8 crore. His properties include a two-storey building in Bhubaneswar, a flat in Sailashree Vihar, a half-constructed building in Kalinga Vihar and three flats in Balasore.
SDPO of Balikuda in Jagatsinghpur Sarala Dei, who faces the government action, was nabbed red-handed by Vigilance officials while accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000. The Vigilance raids revealed that she is in possession of 5 housing plots in Bhubaneswar, one plot in Pipili and two more plots in Jagatsinghpur.
Similarly, Anganwadi supervisor Pratima Sahu, who faces corruption charges, have been told to go on retirement. She was also arrested by Vigilance while accepting gratification.
Police inspector Ramchandra Behera of Police Training College in Angul, who has several allegations of inefficiency and indiscipline against him, has also been retired from the service.
Revenue Supervisor Hrudanand Sahu, working in tehsildar office in Keonjhar district, faces a corruption charge. He was nabbed by the Vigilance while accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a complainant.
It may be noted that the government recently suspended a senior IFS officer and a senior IAS officer on corruption charges.
