Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested three contractors for their alleged involvement in the misappropriation of Rs 3 crore in government funds meant for LED street lighting projects across Kendujhar, Nayagada, and Jajpur districts between 2021 and 2023.
The arrested individuals ave been identified as Girija Sankar Dash, proprietor of Transpower at Baripada in Mayurbhanj district; Dharanidhar Sahoo, proprietor of Biraja Electrical and Constructions at Jajpur Town; and
Bibhuti Ranjan Biswal, proprietor of Jogamaya Traders at Khandagiri in Bhubaneswar.
They were later forwarded to the respective Vigilance Courts.
Odisha Vigilance has registered three separate cases against the accused under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the Indian Penal Code.
Investigation revealed that the three contractors, who were awarded the works in the respective districts, had allegedly diverted substantial portions of the project funds. According to preliminary estimates, around Rs 3 crore was misappropriated. The projects involved the installation of approximately 1,000 clusters of LED street lights (each cluster consisting of 10 lights), funded through the 5th State Finance Commission devolution grants during 2021–23.
Vigilance officials said technical experts are currently examining all the installed clusters to quantify shortfalls in material, quality, or execution. Simultaneously, official files are being seized to trace the flow of funds and determine if any government officials were involved in the alleged irregularities.
Further investigation into the cases is underway.
