Nayagarh: Massive irregularities were allegedly committed in construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission in Khandapara block of Nayagarh district.
Some people alleging a Rs 22 crore scam in the toilet construction had taken up the issue with the Lokayukta. Hearing the case, Lokayukta had ordered an investigation into the irregularities.
The investigation will be completed in two months. It was learnt that Lokayukta has formed a team to look into the scam.
According to reports, 22,000 toilets have been shown as constructed in official records in 22 panchayats of this block. Rs 25 crore has been utilized for these toilets.
However, ground reality is different. Most of the toilets don’t have doors while scores of them have been left half constructed. In many cases, toilets do not have pans and septic pits.
Some toilets have been completed without septic tanks. However, bills of these toilets have been withdrawn by contractors.
Frowning upon the mess in the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission, Surendra Panigrahi, state president of the Bharatiya Bikash Parishad, said only 10 per cent of the 22,000 toilets have been completed in the block while rest of the toilets have been left half-way done.
“Bills for the toilets have been made. Hence, fund to the tune of`22 crore has been misappropriated,” he added.
Following a complaint at the Lokayukta, a case (153, dated February 25, 2021) has been registered. September 9, 2021, an additional complaint in this regard was also submitted to Lokayukta.
Thereafter, the Lokayukta had sought a report about the fund embezzlement in toilet construction in Kiajhara, Kosaka, Godisahi, Mardarajpur and Kantilo panchayats from Khandapara BDO, junior engineer and assistant engineer of the rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) department.
The Lokayukta held a hearing on the case November 21, 2021 and submitted a list of toilets of the five panchayats to the petitioner. The Lokayukta held another hearing December 28, 2021.
Then, the petitioner had shown photographs of the incomplete toilets. In its order, Lokayukta stated that a team constituted by it will look into the irregularities.
Niranjan Das, the district secretary of the Bharatiya Bikash Parishad, said that he has still photographs and video clips of the incomplete toilets. During the investigation, the evidence will be produced to the investigating team of the Lokayukta, he added.
He alleged that two former BDOs, a JE and an assistant engineer of the RWSS are involved in the scam.
PNN