People of Kotenchuan gram panchayat in Nuapada district have resorted to agitation as the district administration did not initiate any action on their complaint about swindling of funds under the Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana (GGY) and the Biju KBK Yojana in Nuapada block.
“We submitted a memorandum to the Collector requesting action but did not get any assurance. Thus, we are sitting on hunger strike fromFriday,” said Rabi Mangaraj, secretary of Congress Kalahandi lok Sabha Constituency, who is leading the agitation.
Mangaraj and Ghasiram Majhi, president of district Congress had drawn the attention of the PD, DRDA, Nuapada as well as the district Collector to the swindling of more than Rs 12 lakh in construction works in Kotenchuan panchayat. But no inquiry was made. It is learnt that the Collector after being informed in detail about the matter by the PD, DRDA, has directed an inquiry.
“It is a fact that fund has been released towards the cost of materials, but it has to be ascertained whether the materials dumped in the worksites are worth equal to the fund released,” block officials said.
Mangaraj further reported that the officials involved in the corruption are now trying to suppress the matter by completing the work.