September 8th 2024.
According to a source, there have been numerous complaints about irregularities and the misuse of funds from the District Mineral Foundation in Keonjhar district. Despite these concerns, no action has been taken, causing both the ruling and opposition parties to express their worry about the situation.
The most recent incident involves a payment of `1.70 crore to casual employees as a salary advance, which is a clear violation of established norms. These casual workers, who are not from the district, have been hired by the DMF to handle daily operations. This decision has caused discontent among the locals. Activist Subhakanta Nayak discovered this information through a Right to Information Act request.
To make matters worse, it was found that these casual employees were paid a salary advance for three years, totaling `1, 70, 55,720, even though they already receive a high salary from the DMF. Surprisingly, the DMF does not have its own office in the district and operates out of a government building. The organization has also outsourced its hiring process to a private agency, which is allegedly making transactions worth thousands of crores without any conditions or guarantees.
Currently, there are 12 workers at the Project Management Unit (PMU) and over 400 in various blocks and departments, all of whom are collectively paid `17, 59,500 each month. Recently, five more people were hired at the PMU, increasing the monthly salary to around `50 lakh. However, all of the employees have received an advance salary, while the government employees working at the PMU are paid less and held accountable for their performance. This discrepancy has caused dissatisfaction among the government staff.
The casual employees are appointed by an outsourcing agency and are not bound by any service conditions, making them unaccountable for their actions. It has been alleged that these "outsiders" often prioritize hiring their own relatives or acquaintances over local youth. In addition, it has been reported that the son of a former official has been appointed at a high salary in the DMF in Sundargarh district.
In a shocking revelation, it was discovered that a small portion of the advanced salary is deducted from the employees' monthly salary. This misuse of funds has caused the DMF to lose out on the interest earned from its bank deposits. Furthermore, concerns have been raised about what will happen to the DMF's compensation if any of the casual workers, who have received an advance salary, leave their job and join another organization.
In light of these irregularities, Nayak has demanded a thorough investigation and action to be taken against those involved, as well as the recovery of the lost interest. The activist has also written to the chief minister and chief secretary, urging them to conduct an impartial probe into the matter.
When contacted, the chief development officer and Zilla Parishadcum-chief executive officer of the DMF, Nagbhushan Mishra, claimed to be unaware of the salary advance given to casual employees. However, he did mention that regular audits of the funds are being conducted. He also stated that the hiring of candidates for field staff is done by outsourcing agencies, rather than through the employment exchange.
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