August 14th 2024.
According to sources, there are concerns about the misuse of funds belonging to the District Mineral Foundation in Keonjhar, amounting to over Rs 700 crore. It is alleged that multiple departments have spent this money without the approval of the trust board. Activist Subhakanta Nayak became aware of this issue after filing an application under the Right to Information Act to obtain information about the expenditure of these funds.
After receiving the requested information, Nayak took action by filing a complaint with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, and other departments. In his complaint, he highlighted instances where funds were spent without following proper procedures, such as inviting tenders or adhering to DMF guidelines. He also pointed out that certain departments were not authorized to use DMF funds, yet large amounts were allocated to them.
Sources reveal that if a thorough investigation is conducted, the amount of misappropriated funds could exceed Rs 2,000 crore. In response to the complaint, Ahuja has instructed the collector of Keonjhar to conduct an inquiry and submit a detailed report. It has been reported that Rs 250.41 crore was sanctioned to the district education officer, Rs 18.61 crore to OREDA in Bhubaneswar, and Rs 48.20 crore to the chief development officer of Zilla Parishad in Keonjhar. Other beneficiaries include the district welfare office, the district employment exchange, the district fishery office, the chief district veterinary officer, the Sericulture department, and the district Horticulture department.
It is important to note that the office of the district project coordinator received the highest amount of Rs 102.89 crore, while the district manager of OFDC received Rs 42.50 lakh. Nayak, in his application, has requested information on how these funds have been utilized, but has not received satisfactory responses from the departments in question. He has demanded strict action against those responsible for any misuse of these funds.
Officials have clarified that the funds were used for various purposes, such as providing scholarships to deserving students, purchasing school supplies, installing solar lights, and setting up smart projectors in panchayat libraries. The money was also spent on projects related to fish cultivation, poultry farming, afforestation, agriculture, and crèche facilities. However, sources claim that these funds were sanctioned during meetings of the DMF trust board, which do not occur on a regular basis. This raises questions about how these departments were able to access such large sums of money. It is suspected that temporary officials may have taken advantage of the situation and misused the funds.
In light of these allegations, a thorough investigation is necessary to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable. The misappropriation of funds meant for the betterment of the district is a serious matter and steps must be taken to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. The trust of the community must be restored and the proper utilization of DMF funds must be ensured.
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