In a significant development, a forester and a Gaon Sathi (village official) from Koraput district in Odisha were arrested by the Odisha Vigilance department on charges of misappropriating government funds amounting to Rs10.6 lakh. The duo is accused of embezzling funds allocated for a Cattle Proof Trench project in the region.
The accused were identified as Ramesh Chandra Bhatra, a forester from the Bagaderi section of the Kundra forest range, and Mahendra Khara, the Gaon Sathi from Dangarapali village. The two are alleged to have embezzled a total of Rs10,60,150 intended for the construction of the cattle-proof trench, a government project aimed at preventing cattle from entering farmlands.
After their arrest on Tuesday, the two accused were produced before the Court of Special Judge Vigilance in Jeypore. The Odisha Vigilance has filed a case against them under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with other relevant provisions of the law.
The case centers around allegations that the government funds allocated for the project were misused, and instead of carrying out the work, the accused individuals misappropriated the funds for personal gain. Investigations into the matter are ongoing, and further action is expected.
