Bhubaneswar: Grant of Rs 50 lakh to each panchayat under the ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ scheme will be probed, announced Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik on Wednesday.
“Panchayati Raj Department should have details of who was issuing work orders. But the Principal Secretary of Panchayati Raj was ignorant in this regard. This scheme was operating Ram Bharose (with everything left to the mercy of god). So whatever work was being done in different panchayats in Odisha it was running Ram Bharose,” alleged Naik.
There was no data on who was doing the work, or how much work was being done, he added.
“So we will probe whatever irregularities have been committed and bring it to light,” the Minister clarified.
Before the last elections, the previous Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government had given a grant of 50 lakhs to each panchayat through the ‘Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha’ scheme. The funds were directed to be spent on various developmental works of the Panchayat. However, the new BJP government has smelled a rat in this scheme.
The Minister has, however, admitted that some work has been done under this scheme but the Department is not aware of it.
“It was not a scheme. The third floor was monitoring everything, the block and the DRDA were implementing it. Who will be held accountable in the event of a probe is the biggest question,” the Minister stated.
