BHUBANESWAR: Five forest officials, including a deputy ranger, were arrested by Vigilance officials on Tuesday on charges of misappropriating funds to the tune of Rs 80 lakh under the compensatory afforestation scheme in Kalahandi South Division.
The accused, Jaypatna deputy ranger in-charge Sairendri Bag, foresters Umesh Rout and Debraj Sunani and forest guards Ashok Kumar Sahu and Lalit Naik, allegedly diverted plantation funds to a number of accounts opened in the names of non-existent labourers, and then withdrew money from them.
Following inputs regarding large-scale misappropriation of funds under the compensatory afforestation scheme, the vigilance carried out an investigation. Four teams checked the plantations taken up in parts of Kalahandi south division.
“A thorough enumeration of plantation sites at Champachuan, Khamarpadar bald hill and Khamarpadar ANR in Jayapatna range was taken up and huge shortfall in the plantation was found along with large-scale misappropriation of funds,” an official from the Vigilance directorate said.
The official said corruption to the tune of Rs 43.75 lakh was found in Champachuan-I in Jaypatna range, where plantation was supposed to be carried out in 71.06 hectare land with 1,600 plants per hectare in 2023-24. Similarly, embezzlement of Rs 6.67 lakh was detected in Champachuan II site where the plantation was supposed to be taken up on 14.10 hectare land in the same year.
Apart from these two sites, funds to the tune of Rs 12.76 lakh meant for plantation on 30 hectare land at Khamarpadar bald hills, Rs 11.22 lakh for 58.86 hectare in Khamarpadar ANR and and another Rs 5.12 lakh for 77.74 hectare area at the same site were also found to have been siphoned off, the official said.
A case was registered against the five officials on Monday and they were arrested on Tuesday. They will be produced in the Special Judge (Vigilance) Court in Bhawanipatna soon,” they added.