CORRUPTION IN NUAPADA ROAD CONSTRUCTION WORKS

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 |  | NUAPADA | in Bhubaneswar


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The Nuapada district administration seems to have gone into deep slumber when matters relating to corruption are concerned. In spite of regular complaints and public protests, there is hardly any action. This has been proved yet again in the implementation of three road construction works in Kotenchuan panchayat of the district. 
The road works from Colony Pada to Salebhata, Bhunjiapada to Aanlajuba and Jamdarha to Tengnabasa in this panchayat of Nuapada block were started under the Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana (GGY) just before the panchayat elections with estimates costs of Rs 3 lakh each. Seventy per cent of the estimated funds were shown utilised, but the physical progresses were less than 30 per cent in each case.
Following public protest led by activists of the Congress party, an inquiry was ordered by the district administration, but now the complainants have claimed that due to pressure from the leaders of the ruling party the administration is going to ignore the demand for legal action against the corrupt officials.
The inquiry done by a team of DRDA officials headed by the APD, administration has revealed that an amount of Rs 2.29 lakh out of a bill amount of Rs 6.27 lakh has been misappropriated by officials involved in the execution of the works. In the improvement of road work from Colonypada to Salebhata, the actual amount of expenditure is Rs 1.52 lakh against a bill amount of Rs 2.09 lakh.
Likewise, in the second and third works mentioned above, the actual expenditures are Rs 1.76 lakh and Rs 87,000, respectively against the bill amounts of Rs 2,09 lakh each. The expenditures in all the works have been shown mainly in stacking of materials like stone and murom.
The inquiry team has also raised question on the quality of materials stacked in Colonypada-to-Salepada road and on the delay in completion of the projects. The team has, however, denied that any duplicity in projects as claimed by the complainants has happened.
“There is no duplicity in projects in other schemes,” says the report which means that funds under the GGY and Biju KBK schemes have not been allotted for the same project in the same year. Other issues identified by the inquiry team are nonpayment of wages to labourers, not adopting due procedures for selection of Village Labour Leaders, etc.
“The quantity of work undertaken was much less when we had demanded inquiry. It was less than 30 per cent of the expenditure shown. The inquiry was delayed to allow time to the corrupt officials to stack some more materials,” said Rabi Mangaraj, who is on a strike since March 31 protesting the corruption. “We demand criminal action against the corrupt officials and, at the same time, recovery of money and completion of the works,” added he.
The inquiry report has been submitted by the DRDA to the district Collector, and the decision is still awaited. Mangaraj has said that if action is not taken as demanded he would hold hunger strike from Tuesday.
“The ball is in the court of the Collector now. It is up to him to decide further action,” said an official of the Collectorate. “He will not punish officials; rather, he will see the work to be completed,” added another.
“Past experience shows that the corrupt officials have not been punished in Parkod, Bhalesar and Beltukri panchayats.

The Panchayat Executive Officers have misappropriated more than Rs.1.42 crore of the 14th CFC and 4th SFC funds, but there is no action. How can one believe that action will be initiated for a mere Rs 2 lakh,” they added.

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