Although construction of the Lower Indra Irrigation Project (LIIP), locally known as Tikhali Dam, in Khariar block of Nuapada district has been completed, the issue of nonpayment of rehabilitation assistance as well as allegations of corruption and fund bungling still continue.
An FIR with allegations of cheating, forgery and conspiracy lodged by one Gourishankar Majhi against an official of the R&R unit of the project and another person has brought one more money bungling case to the forefront.According to the FIR lodged a the Khariar PS by Gourishankar, a resident of Dudkibahal village of Boden block, Nandkishor Tandi, former Special LAO-cum-PD, R&R and one Shyam Kumar Agrawal have bungled about Rs 22 lakh of R&R assistance sanctioned in the name of Gourishankar and four of his family members. "Nandkishor who was the Special LAO cum PD, R&R a few months ago said we were eligible for R&R assistance and he deputed Shaym to help us in opening accounts in Axis Bank at Khariar. Five accounts were opened; but when the passbooks and cheque books were issued, Shyam said those documents including signed cheques would have to be deposited with Nandkishor. He took our signatures in some pages of the cheque books and assured that he would inform us when the money is credited," said Jagmohan, eldest son of Gourishankar. He added that Shaym gradually stopped responding to Jagmohan's phone.
"When Tandi too did not receive our phone calls, we enquired in the bank and came to know that all money deposited in our bank accounts have been withdrawn," Jagmohan said.
How R&R assistance was sanctioned in the names of Gourishankar and his family members is also interesting. Gourishankar and his brother had 1.56 acres of land in Dargaon mauza which was acquired for the project in 2009 for construction of right main canal. As per official record, the land was of Aat kisam (category) and the tenants were residents of Dudkibahal, which was not an affected village; therefore, the tenants were not considered as PAP.However, Gourishankar and his family claimed R&R assistance as they subsequently converted the land to homestead category by filing an application before the Tehsildar, Komna.
They constructed a house in that plot and didn't allow canal works to proceed until they were forcibly evicted by the district administration in 2013. Gourishankar gradually lost hope of getting any assistance under R&R.
But all of a sudden in 2019, the Special LAO and Shyam reached them and said they were eligible for assistance because their names have been approved by the district authority for the benefit. "We could not understand their trick, and fell in the trap," says Jagmohan, who has not been supplied information regarding the sanction, approval and transfer of assistance to them under RTI."There should be a high level inquiry into this allegation because the approval letter referred to provide assistance dates back to 2009.
If that was the case then why the family was forcibly evicted from the land in 2013 without providing the assistance," asks Nitya Pradhan, president of the Lower Indra Bisthapit Sahayata Samiti.
"Further, the amount provided was Rs 4.36 lakh each, which was Rs 2 lakh less than that prescribed by the Government in 2014. Therefore, it cannot be said that the approval has been accorded after 2014," adds Pradhan.
Jagmohan has been in constant touch with police to know the progress in his FIR. "I have learnt that Shyam and Nandkishor are trying to get anticipatory bail from court. They should be arrested and money should be recovered," said Jagmohan.
