ROURKELA: Vigilance sleuths on Thursday detected glaring irregularities in construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs) under Swachha Bharat Mission in Lathikata block of Sundargarh district.
Acting on several allegations, anti-corruption officials led by Rourkela-based Vigilance DSP Dilip Kar on Thursday visited Jhirgatola, Mundatola and Thepatola hamlets of Bolani village in the block.
After physical verification of the houses of 25 beneficiaries, the vigilance team found that IHHLs were not constructed, but payments were made to the contractor. Each beneficiary is entitled to `12,000 and ` three lakh has been swindled. Vigilance sources said the Junior Engineer of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), Technical Assistant of the panchayat appointed as nodal officer and a coordinator in connivance with the contractor committed the misappropriation.
Under a conspiracy, the errant contractor was authorised by the Gaon Kalyan Samiti to construct IHHLs for the beneficiaries and the contractor manipulated geo-tagging process with false pictures to receive payments, they added.Kar said investigation is underway and they would cover more villages. Inspectors SS Pujari and Gitanjali Pradhan were also present.