Bharatiya Bikash Parishad State president Surendra Panigahi has submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Vigilance, Brahmapur on Friday demanding immediate action against a former MLA of Brahmapur and former BeDA Chairman, Secretary and concerned engineers of the civic body for alleged misappropriation of huge funds in the name of plantation and purchase of gabions for protection of the plant.
The Parishad alleged an unholy nexus among them that led to spending a total amount of Rs 45 lakh from the Local Area Development (LAD) fund during the past four financial years, namely, FY 2015-16 (Rs10 lakh), 2016-17 (Rs 10 lakh), 2017-18 (Rs 15 lakh) and 2018-19 (Rs 10 lakh) showing the execution of plantation programme and purchase of gabions (Zalli) for protection of the plantation in different Wards of the BeMC and few other areas under the jurisdiction of the Brahmapur Assembly Constituency.
Panigrahi however said the funds were misappropriated and demanded an impartial probe by the State Vigilance to unfold the truth.
The Parishad further said that, a fact finding team of the Parishad visited different areas of Ward No.1 to Ward No.35 under the BeMC circle of the city for an inspection on the ground, but was surprised to note that, neither a single tree has been planted nor gabions were found on the ground in all these wards.
The Parishad gave a copy of the memorandum to the Chief Secretary of the State, Principal Secretaries of Urban Development and Home Department, Director of State Vigilance, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Southern Divn), district Collector and Brahmapur SP for taking further action in the matter.