Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested Jaya Kumar Juad, a Forester, on charges of misappropriating government funds to the tune of more than ₹55 lakh by allegedly preparing fake muster rolls and vouchers for plantation-related works in Kalahandi district.
According to the Vigilance press release, the accused, while serving as Forester under the Thuamul Rampur Forest Section in Kalahandi, is alleged to have siphoned off ₹55,04,607 during the 2024–25 period by manipulating funds allocated for Soil and Moisture Conservation (SMC) works at plantation sites. The investigation has revealed a systematic embezzlement of public money meant for critical environmental conservation activities.
The misappropriated funds were drawn from high-priority environmental schemes, including the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Compensatory Afforestation (CA), and Catchment Plan Area (CPA) projects. These schemes are aimed at ecological restoration and sustainable forest management.
Vigilance officials stated that Juad, allegedly in connivance with others, bypassed financial safeguards at three plantation sites under the Thuamul Rampur Forest Section. The accused is said to have fabricated muster rolls by listing non-existent labourers or inflating the number of workdays, while also submitting forged vouchers for materials and logistical expenses that were never actually incurred.
Based on the findings of the investigation, the accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, along with provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. He will be forwarded to the court for further legal proceedings.
Odisha Vigilance has stated that the investigation is continuing to ascertain the involvement of other persons and to trace the full extent of the financial irregularities.
