Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Odisha members on Wednesday demanded that the State Government take immediate action against the officials of the State-run Industrial Development Corporation Orissa limited (Idcol) indulging in corruption.
The party in a letter to the Idcol CMD said five of his officials being chargesheeted by the Vigilance for irregularities, misappropriation and financial loss to the company, but instead of being subjected to departmental action pending the outcome of the cases, these officials are promoted and assigned key posts by the Idcol, party leaders alleged. “It is needless to mention that these promotions are completely against the norms of accountability and administrative propriety,” AAP Odisha convener Nishikanta Mohapatra told a Press conference here.
In the letter, party members questioned how the Idcol management softened its attitude towards its tainted officials. The Vigilance authorities asked due permission from the Idcol management to prosecute the delinquent officials on October 27, 2010 through letter number 7390/vig cell and subsequently on January 18, 2011 letter number 3720/vig cell. The CMD’s office took more than one and a half years to accord sanction for prosecution.
The AAP revealed another “disturbing” matter that the Idcol promoted two of the five accused namely SK Nanda, DGM, to the post of GM and S Rahman from Manager to Senior Manager violating the principle of Vigilance deterrence. A third accused, corporation’s MD (Commercial) AK Padhi, superannuated with the effect from November 30, 2009 without any proceedings drawn against him and received all the dues.
The party said that due to massive corruption in the corporation, the State is bearing huge loss and has started closing up the allied companies under the corporation. “Why is the State Government not taking firm action against the officials to create a good environment for the development of industry in the State,” asked AAP member Dhanada Mishra.
The AAP had sent the letter to the Idcol CMD to know if the management has taken any action against the tainted officials after they were chargesheeted by the Vigilance, but the party has not received any reply from the CMD even after more than a month.