Odisha takes action against 9 tainted officers, 3 dismissed from service

As part of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy on corruption, the state government on Friday cracked the whip on nine officials, dismissing three of them. While three tainted officials were dismissed from service, the government permanently stopped the pension of six others after they were found guilty of corruption, officials said.

“Since 2019, the state government has punished 197 officers for corruption,” the official said.

The nine tainted officials included the ex-executive engineer of RWSS Division-II, Cuttack district, Shivram Biswal. He was convicted in a corruption case by the vigilance court. His pension and gratuity have been permanently stopped, the official said, adding that the former BDO of Karlamunda block in Kalahandi district, Gandaram Khamari, also faced the same fate after being convicted in a corruption case.

Former assistant agriculture officer Gokul Chandra Nayak who worked in Nabarangpur district has been dismissed from service on charges of corruption and inefficiency.

Assistant agriculture officer Krushna Chandra Gouda, working in G Udaygiri block of Kandhamal district, has been denied pension and gratuity by the government over corruption charges.

Dasarathi Tripathy, a soil conservation officer in Malkangiri district, has also been denied pension and gratuity for graft.

RWSS junior engineer Upendrabhanja Nayak of Baragarh district has also been denied pension and gratuity for inefficiency, corruption and bad behavior. He has been dismissed from the service, the official said.

Sundergarh local fund audit’s ex-auditor Sushil Kumar Meher has been convicted in a corruption case and dismissed from service on charges of both corruption and inefficiency.

Education Officer Anand Chandra Naik of Mayurbhanj district has also been denied pension and gratuity after he was convicted in a corruption case.

Former officer Dr Surendra Nath Pati of Nayagarh district was convicted in a corruption case following which his pension and gratuity has also been stopped, the official said.