After nearly 15 years, the State Government on Thursday admitted that nearly 274 fake appointments were made in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) in two phases during 1996-97 and 1998-99. Salaries against these nonexistent employees continue to be drawn, which go to the pockets of some key officials.
Admitting the sham in an affidavit made before the Odisha High Court on the day, State Urban Development Secretary Govindrajan Mathivathnan said irregularities have been committed by the CMC authorities in appointments for the posts of sweepers, road gang, drain gang, de-weeding workers and teachers.
The Government also informed the High Court that criminal actions would be initiated against the erring officials within 30 days as per the provisions of the Odisha Municipal Act-1950 and steps would be taken as per the provisions of the Odisha local Audit Fund Act of 1948 to recover the illegal payments.
The Government affidavit came in the wake of an earlier HC notice made in response to a PIl filed by senior city-based journalist Pradeep Sahu. The PIl was filed in 2003 in which, the petitioner had alleged that 117 fake appointments were made during the 1996-97 fiscal and 157 were made in the 1998-99 fiscal.
“Against these fake appointments, salaries were drawn regularly every month and the same were pocketed by some officials even as the matter was brought to limelight by media in the year 2003,” Sahu said, adding that former CMC Executive Officer Issac Behera had admitted about it in an affidavit to the HC in 2006.
Seeking a CBI enquiry into the matter, Sahu had prayed the High Court for a direction to the Government to initiate criminal proceedings against the erring officials of the civic body.
It may be mentioned that the CMC in July 2003 had urged the Government to initiate disciplinary action against the then Executive Officer Bishnu Charan Samal and Additional Executive Officer Sanjita Das. But till date, no action has been taken against these two OAS officers, Sahu informed.