Phulbani: A range officer has been suspended in connection with misappropriation of funds meant for Kendu leaf labourers under Baliguda forest division in Kandhamal district.
Phulbani Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) (Kendu leaf) Hemant Kumar Sahu informed Friday that Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Hari Shankar Upadhyay had taken the step after investigation.
Sources said, the labourers were engaged between June 4 and October 16, 2018 at eight centres (phadi) of Baliguda forest department. The workers were given money for their daily lunch. The agreement was that the amount provided for lunch would be deducted from the dues of the workers.
After the completion of their jobs, the labourers met the concerned ranger and forester to collect their dues, but to no avail. The Phadi Sangha also took the matter up with forest officials but neither the dues were released nor any account details were furnished. The matter then was brought to the notice of the forester who gave a written assurance to the labourers that their dues would be covered by April. But he failed to meet his commitment.
At that time Baliguda range officer Umesh Diggal had claimed that his predecessor had misappropriated funds to the tune of Rs 300,000 before doing a moonlight flit.
DFO (Kendu Leaf) Sahu then conducted an enquiry and found that it was Diggal only who was involved in siphoning off the funds. The labourers then met the Collector and warned the administration that they would resort to a sit-in, if their money was not released within 10 days.
PNN