Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has dismissed an Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer from service for his alleged involvement in corruption, particularly irregularities in land administration during his tenure as additional tehsildar of Bhubaneswar, according to a government statement.
Details of the Case
Chittaranjan Pilla served as additional tehsildar in Bhubaneswar from 2019 to 2022 and later joined as deputy collector in Jagatsinghpur. Evidence of irregularities in several of his decisions surfaced during his time in Bhubaneswar. Senior departmental officials investigated multiple decisions made by Pilla related to land matters, and the investigation clearly revealed various irregularities, the government stated.
Zero-Tolerance Policy
The Chief Minister has been directing the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and has repeatedly stated that no corrupt officer will be spared.
Previous Arrest and Assets
The state vigilance department had arrested Pilla in December 2022 when he was posted in Jagatsinghpur, for possession of disproportionate assets that he could not account for satisfactorily. The investigation unraveled several movable and immovable assets beyond his known sources of income.
Career Background
Pilla joined government service as a junior clerk in February 1993 at Patnagarh tehsil. He was selected to the Odisha Revenue Service in 2018 and joined as assistant collector at Boudh, continuing there until 2019. In October 2019, he joined as additional tehsildar in Bhubaneswar. In October 2022, he was selected to the OAS and joined as deputy collector (land acquisition) in Jagatsinghpur. From there, he was transferred to Kalahandi and was under suspension.
