CUTTACK: With an alleged act of illegal gratification by a senior officer of Odisha Small Industries Corporation (OSIC) left to drag for over two and a half years, demand for initiation of Vigilance probe has begun to get louder.
The officer had allegedly availed a foreign trip offered by Tata Steel Ltd to its retail dealers as performance incentives in 2012. He was in charge of Tata Tiscon rebar marketing by virtue of OSIC being the sole distributor of the products in the State and reportedly forced a dealer to take him along in the package tour to Vienna.
Even as the issue came to light immediately after the tour, no action has been taken yet. The State PSU authorities initiated departmental proceedings against the officer by initiating inquiry under Additional Director (Industries) in June, 2014 but it is yet to be completed.
OSIC MD BB Behera conceded that there was prima facie evidence of impropriety on part of the officer and the deadline for completion of inquiry and submission of report has lapsed. “We are pursuing with the inquiring officer and expect the report within a fortnight,” Behera said. The Odisha Lokayukta Abhijan has submitted a memorandum to Governor SC Jamir pleading for registration of FIR by State Vigilance. “We have demanded registration of an FIR by Vigilance and action in the case,” organisation advisor Debesh Das said.