The Sambalpur Bikash Manch (SBM), fighting to curb corruption in Government offices, has finally approached the SP of Vigilance for an in-depth inquiry into various irregularities in the Sambalpur Municipality, which has turned out to be a paradise for corrupt officials.
Not that the SBM has brought out the allegations superfluously; the charges are specific. Concrete roads are not lasting for six months. Money from hundreds of mobile towers is not going to the municipality fund but to the pockets of a few officers. At the same time, the Government funds are being rampantly misused in the name of developmental works.
Further, the allocated funds for specific purposes are being diverted to other works where the officials could mint money, allege the members of the Bikash Manch to the SP of Vigilance.The members of SBM have been time and again bringing allegations against the Municipality and its corrupt practices before different platforms. “When it yielded no results, we, as last hope, knocked the door of the vigilance department,” said SBM convenor Debashi Purohit.
The Manch members further apprised the SP that fund was provided by the Urban Development Department to the municipality for better quality sanitation in the city. But the authorities here have shared the money with private agencies putting the entire sanitation system to dogs.
They also highlighted the corrupt practices in the distribution of pensions to old men and women, widow and physically-disabled persons. Money is being swindled in the name of dead and forged persons, alleged the members. They also gave a list of such persons to the SP.
They further alleged that former chairman of the municipality Girish Patel enjoyed power for five years in office by producing a fake caste certificate. lakhs of rupees had been spent from the municipality and Government fund to probe it. Finally, it was confirmed that he had become the chairman by virtue of a forged caste certificate. But no action has been taken against him so far, they informed the SP and demanded action against Patel and the officials issuing the forged caste certificate.
They also brought to the knowledge of the Vigilance SP to the spreading of cable lines in the city by the Reliance company. Due to such practice, the municipality is losing lakhs of rupees, they alleged.