The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday alleged large-scale misappropriation of funds amounting to nearly Rs 50 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and other government welfare schemes in Odisha's Koraput and Nabarangpur districts. The party demanded a high-level investigation into the alleged fraud involving postal department employees.
BJP's Response
Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Goutam Samantaray dismissed the charges and accused the BJD of politicizing the issue. "The BJD is making baseless allegations only to mislead the public and divert attention from irregularities that allegedly took place during their own tenure. If any fraud has occurred, the government will conduct a fair investigation and strict action will be taken against those found guilty, irrespective of their position," Samantaray said.
BJD's Allegations
Addressing media at Jeypore, former minister Rabi Narayan Nanda, former Nabarangpur MP Pradeep Majhi, and former Koraput MP Jhina Hikaka alleged that crores of rupees meant for poor workers under the rural employment scheme were siphoned off through fraudulent transactions in several post offices of Koraput and Nabarangpur districts.
According to the BJD leaders, as per central government guidelines, wages under MGNREGS are to be directly credited to the bank or post office accounts of beneficiaries. However, some field-level postal employees, including sub-postmasters, allegedly manipulated beneficiary records and withdrew funds illegally.
Method of Fraud
"The fraud was allegedly committed by changing KYC details in the system and using fake thumb impressions to withdraw money from the accounts," alleged Nanda. The BJD stated that the alleged irregularities were reported in Dabugam, Jharigam, and Kodinga post offices in Nabarangpur district, besides Koraput.
Former MP Majhi alleged this appears to be a well-organized racket involving multiple people. "Despite allegations surfacing earlier, no stringent action has been taken against the officials involved," he claimed.
Demand for Action
Hikaka demanded immediate intervention by the state and central authorities. "The money siphoned off from beneficiaries must be recovered and paid back to the genuine account holders," he said.
Government's Stance
Reacting to the allegations, Samantaray reiterated that the present state government is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of welfare schemes. "Unlike the previous regime, this government will not shield corrupt officials. The interests of genuine beneficiaries will be protected at all costs," he said.
