Vigilance Arrests 4 Persons Including Ex-EO Of Jharsuguda Municipality In Odisha For Mosquito Oil Scam

Bhubaneswar: Vigilance has arrested four persons including a former executive officer of Jharsuguda Municipality for alleged misappropriation of more than Rs 61 lakh towards purchase of mosquito larvicidal oil.

The Vigilance had started investigation following allegation of misappropriation of government fund by the officials of Jharsuguda Municipality towards purchase of public health sanitisation materials (Mosquito Larvicidal Oil) during 2022-23 and 2023-24 in connivance with the supplier.

During inquiry, it was revealed that in 2023, Manoj Kumar Tandi, former Executive Officer (EO) of Jharsuguda Municipality had placed supply order of public health sanitation materials including the Mosquito Larvicidal Oil (MLO) of 10,200 litre to Fusion Group, Jharsuguda in an irregular manner at an exorbitant rate.

It was found that after receipt of purchase order, the supplier supplied 9,500 litre of MLO to the municipality on different dates and submitted 7 bills/invoices for payment of Rs 70,30,000.

During financial year 2022-23, Tandi, had purchased MLO at the rate of Rs 77 per litre from Orissa Rubber Udyog Limited, Kalunga, Rourkela including all charges. But, during 2023-24, Tandi, Bikash Pasayat, sanitary inspector, and Biswa Ranjan Sahoo, sanitary expert of the municipality entered into criminal conspiracy with the supplier and purchased 9,500 litre of MLO at the rate of Rs 740 (almost 10 times rate of the previous year) per litre with excess of Rs 660 per litre from Ashutosh Sharma, proprietor of Fusion Group, Jharsuguda and payment of Rs 68,89,400 has been made on different dates.

Further, it was ascertained that the government had deducted 2% GST/TDS from the above bill amount which comes to Rs 1,25,400. Hence, the actual misappropriation amount came to Rs 61,44,600. As a result, the Municipality, Jharsuguda has paid excess amount of Rs 61,44,600 causing wrongful gain to the supplier.

Basing on the investigation report, a criminal case under PC (Amendment) Act, 2018 was registered against all the four persons.

The Vigilance arrested all the accused and forwarded them to the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Sambalpur on Friday.