There is widespread resentment among the people of Chhendipada due to mismanagement and alleged serious financial irregularities in the Kalinga Institute of Mining Engineering & Technology (KIMET) located at Chhendipada of Angul district.
In a petition to the Chief Minister, functionaries of the KIMET Surakhya Parishad has alleged that there are financial irregularities of Rs 12 crore, about which complaints have been lodged with police.
Govardhan Nayak, BB Behera, K Biswal and others of the Parishad in the petition alleged that present KIMET managing trustee in-charge Bansidhar Pradhan has done the irregularities, for which two complaints have been filed in the local police station. While the admission process has been stalled due to gross mismanagement in the KIMET and the mines-affected youths have been deprived of taking admission in the institute, the High Court has appointed the district Collector as its functioning officer. However, even after this, Pradhan has done the huge irregularities, alleged Govardhan Nayak.
The KIMET, the only mining engineering institute of this minerals-rich area, landed in a serious controversy since 1995 due to a conflict among trustee members.
Some vested interest persons with the help of high Government officials want to keep the management of the college in their hands as the institute has a bank balance of Rs 25 crore and assets worth around Rs 50 crore.
The institute comes under the State Council for Technical Education and approved by the AICTE. It is established in an eco-friendly campus in an area of 41 acres. Locals and educationists demand stern action against the person involved with financial mismanagement of the institute.