Odisha Mukhyamantri Bus Seva: Block supervisor swindles Rs 17.3 lakh passenger fare
BARIPADA: The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) has slapped a show-cause notice on its Bisoi block supervisor for allegedly misappropriating over Rs 17.30 lakh of passenger fare from the Mukhyamantri Bus Seva (MBS).
The supervisor in question, Lalit Kumar Barik, has apparently not reported to duty since November 25 and missing in action.
During a verification of records, district manager found that Barik has not deposited collected passenger fare for the last 18 months. In fact, the last ‘genuine’ deposit was made on July 14, 2024.
It came to light that the supervisor, instead of depositing the daily bus fare collected from conductors of the three MBS buses operating in Bisoi block, kept the money with himself. Instead of depositing the revenue in the local bank, he allegedly prepared fake receipts using counterfeit seals and forged signatures of Pratapur Gramya Bank branch in Badasahi, about 110 km from Bisoi and shared these receipts in the WhatsApp group of the district manager for two years.
After this alleged misappropriation was detected, a show-cause notice was issued by the OSRTC. The district office is investigating if more people are involved.
So far, no police complaint has been lodged against the supervisor. “We have issued a show-cause notice to the supervisor. If he does not provide a satisfactory explanation within the stipulated time, we will consult senior state officials for further legal action and follow their instructions.” district manager Satyajit Bishoi said.
Gramya Bank branch manager Ganesh Barik said the supervisor used to deposit money at the bank but has not appeared for the last 18 months. “If he has misused the bank’s seal and name, legal action will be taken against him,” he said.
The financial verification showed that the supervisor did not deposit Rs 9.04 lakh for 2024-25 and Rs 8.25 lakh for 2025-26, amounting to Rs 17.30 lakh.
Mayurbhanj district has 103 MBS buses operating across 26 blocks. The OSRCTC has 27 supervisors, two assistant managers, a district manager, and one accounts officer to supervise the operation.