ROURKELA: The Congress on Wednesday demanded Vigilance probe into the allegations on issue of 15,000 ghost labour cards by misappropriating Rs 1.3 crore from Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (OBOCWWB).
A delegation of the party handed over a memorandum in this regard to Vigilance SP Harekrishna Behera. Former secretary of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Rashmi Ranjan Padhi said on April 6 this year, Sundargarh Collector had issued order for distributing of Covid-19 cash relief of Rs 1,500 to each of the 1,12,220 active job card holders through four urban local bodies (ULBs) and 17 block offices.
The response to a RTI query revealed that more than 11,700 labour cards in Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) limits, a ULB and 11 blocks could not be tracked. Padhi said information on remaining six blocks and two ULBs is pending and around 15,000 ghost cards were distributed across the district.
Each labour card holder is entitled to Rs 9,000 for bicycle, construction tools and safety equipment and if 15,000 ghost cards were issued, then it is evident that Rs 13 crore, sanctioned by OBOCWWB, was misappropriated.
Padhi said only an impartial probe can unearth the truth. He said the Vigilance SP has assured the party of appropriate action in the matter.
Incidentally, pending renewal the local labour office had barred around 56,000 labour cards and kept 1,12, 220 active cards for Covid-19 cash relief.
In the first week of September, Sundargarh Collector had ordered an administrative inquiry amid allegations that 1,932 PDS ghost cards were issued within RMC limits.