3 Engineers In Odisha Suspended After ED Probe Exposes Siphoning Of MGNREGA Fund

Bhubaneswar:: Three engineers were on Monday suspended for their alleged involvement in an Rs 3.21 crore scam in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) at Jashipur block in Odihsa’s Mayurbhanj district.

The engineers who faced the departmental action for the corruption were identified as Rajendra Patra, the then assistant executive engineer of Jashipur block, and junior engineers Sameer Kabi and Dibya Lochan Naik.

The alleged embezzlement of money took place in 2020. The engineers siphoned the money without executing any developmental activities in Podagarh, Barehipani, Astakumar, Gurugudia and Dhalabani gram panchayats. In this connection, the then block development officer (BDO) of Jashipur block Anupama Ghosh had lodged a written complaint against 25 persons at Jashipur police station.

Acting on the BDO’s complaint, Jashipur police had arrested four persons and produced them in the court. The rest of the accused persons were at large.

After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out an investigation and the accused deposed before the ED on April 20, action was initiated.