BHUBANESWAR: As part of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s ‘zero tolerance’ approach to corruption in administration, the state government on Tuesday cracked the whip on 14 officials, dismissing four of them.The officers who faced action include a superintending engineer, two assistant engineers, a deputy superintendent of police, a child development project officer, a forest range officer, a tehsildar, a block development officer, a senior manager, a tax collector, a supply inspector and three junior engineers. Of the 14, four were given compulsory retirement and the pension of six others held up permanently.
As per the chief minister’s office, superintending engineer of public health division, Cuttack Nabakishore Das was issued order of compulsory retirement. He had earlier been suspended following allegations of irregularities in tender and contract process and misuse of office.
Similarly, former CDPO of Lamptaput block in Koraput district, Swarnava Das and former BDO of Kantamal block in Boudh district, Damodar Mahalik were dismissed from service after they were convicted in separate bribery cases.
The pension of former tehsildar of Khandapada in Nayagarh district, Panchanan Barik has been permanently held up as he was convicted in a bribery case while former DSP of Dhenkanal Malay Kishore Nayak was given compulsory retirement for corruption and inefficiency.
With this, the government has acted against 187 officers so far for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices. The action against the officers was taken basing on feedback received through 5T and ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiatives.
While Odisha is observing Vigilance Awareness Week from October 31 to November 6, the chief minister’s action against corrupt and inefficient officials comes as a part of his transparency building initiative.