In a significant development on Thursday, Special Officer of Paudi Bhuyan Development Agency (PBDA) of Khuntgaon under Bonei sub-division was shunted out following allegation of large-scale irregularities.
The Bonei Sub Collector sealed its office and initiated an inquiry into the allegations. The SC ST Development Department will conduct an audit into it.
According to sources, the PBDA was formed for development of the Paudi Bhuyan tribes with its headquarters at Khuntgaon under Bonei sub division. It was working with several developmental projects, mainly for the upliftment of the primitive tribes.
Among other tribal communities, Paudi Bhuyan is stated to be most underdeveloped tribal community of the district. The PBDA was functioning in five panchayats and 22 villages under Khuntgaon block.
Sources said, recently locals had lodged complaints about large scale irregularities in the functioning and huge misappropriation of funds by Special Officer Uttam Mohanty. In a petition to the Sundargarh Collector a couple of months back, the locals had leveled the allegation of large scale corruption against its Special Officer. They claimed that the development through PBDA is only limited to pen and paper. Since, no response had come from any corner and Mohanty was allegedly involved in irregularities, hundreds of locals had staged a demonstration in front of the PBDA Khuntgaon office on July 31, demanding an inquiry and also immediate transfer of the Special Officer.
During prima facie investigation, Bonei Sub Collector Swadha Dev Singh had found huge misappropriation of funds.
The Bonei Sub Collector had immediately directed to seal the office of PBDA and directed a team of officials to conduct an inquiry. On Thursday, Mohanty was asked to go on long leave for his alleged irregularities and misappropriation of funds during his tenure. One Raison Tudu who works in ITDA, Bonei, has been given the charge of Special Officer of PBDA, Khuntgaon.