BHUBANESWAR: It has been 25 years since Odisha Rural Housing and Development Corporation Limited (ORHDC) sanctioned house building loans to police personnel in the aftermath of the devastating 1999 Super Cyclone but at least 75 of these cops are yet to repay Rs 3.97 crore back to the state PSU.
Police personnel drawn from units such as 7th OSAP Battalion, Bhubaneswar, SP Signal, Cuttack, SP Railway Police, Cuttack, police districts of Cuttack and Angul and even Special Branch were sanctioned loans by the ORHDC.
In a recent letter to the Home department, the corporation said it had sanctioned loans as per the eligibility of the employees under the corporate housing loan scheme in 2000, soon after the Super Cyclone.
“Currently, there are 75 dormant loanees working in the above agencies under administrative control of the Home department whose total gross outstanding amount stood at Rs 3.97 crore as on March 31, 2025,” read ORHDC’s managing director’s letter to the special secretary of the Home department.
The employees were sanctioned house building loans having 13.5 per cent return on investment against guarantee of their drawing and disbursing officer (DDO) for recovery in instalments.
Despite demand notices to the Home department, the outstanding loan kept piling as the DDOs did not act, the corporation said. “This is Odisha government’s money, which was sanctioned by ORHDC for the benefit of the employees. They may be advised to deposit their respective dues as quickly as possible to avoid further bearing of interest on their loans,” said the letter.
In a letter to the DGP on October 14, the Home department said, even though loans were sanctioned in favour of Odisha Police personnel under corporate housing loan scheme after the Super Cyclone, the loans have not been repaid.
It informed that four out of six police establishments did not even respond despite repeated reminders.
“It is requested to direct the DDOs of the police establishments concerned to take all necessary steps towards recovery of pending loan dues lying against the defaulting Odisha Police personnel,” the letter to the DGP stated.