BHUBANESWAR: The State government on Wednesday dismissed Opposition’s allegations of rise in corruption cases and claimed that it has taken tough measures to stop the PC (percentage commission) culture. Responding to the admissibility of an adjournment motion on rising PC culture in the State moved by Opposition chief whip Mohan Majhi, Finance Minister Niranj Pujari said in the last one and half years 404 criminal cases have been registered by the State Vigilance against 758 officials during January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 for their alleged involvement in corruption and amassing wealth beyond their known sources of income.
Stating that corruption cases have been registered against 76 Grade-A officers and 68 Grade-B officers during this period, Pujari said 272 persons have been arrested out of which 43 are Grade-A officers and 49 Grade-B officers. Cash and illegal properties worth Rs 254.57 crore have been seized. While 88 persons including 10 Grade -A officers and 5 Grade-B officers were found guilty in 75 cases, the State government has dismissed 16 officers from their services and stopped pension of 15 retired employees.
To the opposition allegation of tender fixing, the Minister said that all the tenders floated by the government for awarding projects are done online and there is little scope of manipulation in the e-tender process. Since payments of contractors are made online through Works and Accounts Management Information System and Integrated Financial Management System, the PC culture has been stopped.