BHUBANESWAR: The State Vigilance has filed criminal cases against 18 officials of the development authorities (DA) of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in connection with five cases of allotments made under the discretionary quota (DQ).
The five allottees have also been slapped criminal charges.
All 23 have been booked under Sections 13(2), 13(1) D of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 200, 202, 468, 420 and 120(B) of Indian Penal Code.
Sources in the Vigilance said cases have been registered over four allotments by Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and one by Cuttack Development Authority (CDA). The cases pertain to multiple allotments acquired by furnishing false information.
Of 23 DA officials, six are OAS officers. Four of them were posted as allotment officers of BDA while one was with CDA. Two others officers who face criminal charges served as Secretary of CDA. The rest are in the positions of section officers and dealing assistants.
Sources said the Vigilance will serve notices on the allottees and give them fair opportunity to place their side.
After recording their statements and perusing evidence provided by them, verification will be made after which chargesheet would be submitted.
“We are mandated to act against multiple allotments made by submission of false affidavits and wrong information in violation of schematic provisions,” official sources said.
The Odisha Government in May had decided to scrap allotments of plots and houses made under the DQ since January 1, 1995 basing on the report submitted by a Task Force.