Odisha's Anti-Corruption Crackdown: Engineers Caught with Crores in Assets

Odisha's anti-corruption vigilance team recently uncovered assets worth crores belonging to high-ranking engineers, including numerous plots of land, gold, and cash. Investigations revealed these officials owned substantial landholdings and other valuables, raising concerns about corruption. The vigilance department continues its efforts to uncover and verify all associated assets.

Odisha's anti-corruption vigilance team on Friday uncovered assets worth crores of rupees owned by a high-ranking engineer, including 85 plots, a gold biscuit, and other valuables.

This marks the third such instance involving senior officials with substantial landholdings. In the past week, the anti-corruption wing detected 52 plots owned by an excise department official and 34 plots held by another senior engineer and his family.

The vigilance department stated they found a market complex, a five-storey building, and 85 plots — including one in West Bengal — along with 218 grams of gold, including a gold biscuit, and cash amounting to Rs 11.7 lakh in the possession of Pravas Kumar Pradhan, chief construction engineer of Anandpur Barrage Division in Salapada, Keonjhar.

The plots were reportedly purchased by Pradhan in different years in his own name as well as in the names of his family members, with a registered sale deed value exceeding Rs 2 crore. The actual value is suspected to be higher, which is currently being verified.

Additionally, officials are ascertaining bank, postal, insurance, and other deposits, with searches still ongoing.

Earlier this week, Rama Chandra Mishra, joint commissioner of excise, was arrested for amassing assets disproportionate to his known income. He possessed 52 plots, six multi-storey buildings, and two apartments.

In another incident, 34 plots of land, including one at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and an eight-acre farmhouse, were found to be in the possession of Sunil Kumar Rout, chief construction engineer of the Lower Suktel Project, Bolangir.

(With inputs from agencies.)