UMERKOTE/JEYPORE: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday sought a report on the Malkangiri postal deposit embezzlement within a month.
On way to Nabarangpur, as part of his four-day ‘Jan Ashirwad Jatra’ in Odisha, the Union Minister made a surprise stop at the main post office of Jeypore and queried about the outcome of probe into alleged embezzlement of about `93 lakh deposits within 30 days. The irregularities had occurred in Vejangiwada, Lachipeta and Malkangiri colony post offices between August 2019 and December 2020.
Unhappy with the response of in-charge senior postal superintendent Tarini Charan Padhi over progress in the internal inquiry, Vaishnaw directed him to submit the report within a month. “Stern action will be taken against the post office staff involved in misappropriation of depositors’ money,” he said.
Later, he visited Nabarangpur where he sought cooperation of the people for rapid progress of tribal-dominated districts under Mission Purvodaya. The bureaucrat-turned-politician was accorded a rousing welcome by party workers on his arrival.
Addressing mediapersons during his public outreach programme, Vaishnaw informed that the Ministry will prepare a holistic programme to expedite incomplete projects and bring backward areas to mainstream by providing railway network, communication, internet and banking facilities at a faster pace.
“I will take up the matter with the State government for early completion of pending projects to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to transform life of people in Odisha,” he added. The minister later went to Papadahandi to pay homage to the martyrs and proceeded to Maidalpur village to distribute gas cylinders to women under the Ujjwala scheme.
Members of district bar association, media union and other organisations submitted memoranda to the Minister demanding expedited work on Jeypore-Nabarangpur and Jeypore-Malkangiri lines which have been stalled due to delay in land acquisition for five years now. Locals also demanded a new train from Nabarangpur to Junagarh as proposed during the tenure of former Railway Minister Bhakta Charan Das.
The minister visited Ambaguda, Borrigumma, Kamara and Kaliguda before heading to Nabarangpur on the day. He is scheduled to visit Kalahandi and Balangir on Sunday.
District BJP president Jagadish Bishoyi, State BJP vice-president and former MP Balabhadra Majhi, MLA Umerkote Nityananda Gand, BJP State general secretary Golak Mohapatra and senior leader Bhrugu Baxipatra accompanied him.