Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance today arrested Sripati Pradhan, Ex-Secretary of Kalla Primary Agricultural Co-operative Society (PACS) in Debagada district, for allegedly embezzling government funds amounting to Rs 16,72,567.Following his arrest, Pradhan was forwarded to the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Sambalpur.
In a decisive anti-corruption crackdown targeting pilferage of agricultural subsidies, Vigilance took up verification on alleged misappropriation of over Rs 16 lakh in Kalla PACS during the financial year 2024-25.The verification revealed that Pradhan systematically falsified registers, ledger entries and inventory books to conceal the illegal diversion and sale proceeds of diverse fertilizers meant for local farming communities.
The investigation further proved that the accused converted public money totaling Rs 16,72,567 to his personal use, directly depriving farmers of intended government benefits. In this connection, Rourkela Vigilance PS registered a case under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(a) PC Act, 1988 as amended in 2018 and Sections 316(5)/344 BNS, 2023 has been registered against Pradhan.
