Bhubaneswar: In a significant anti-corruption development, the Odisha Vigilance has secured the conviction of two engineers in a corruption case involving misappropriation of government funds.
The Special Vigilance Judge, Sambalpur convicted Sadananda Pradhan, former Assistant Engineer (Retired) of Maneswar block in Sambalpur and Biranchi Narayan Dash, Assistant Engineer of Brutang Irrigation Project, Daspalla in Nayagarh district, who was earlier serving as Junior Engineer in Maneswar Block in Sambalpur.
Both the accused were charge-sheeted by Odisha Vigilance under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(c) and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, along with Sections 409, 468, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.
The case relates to the financial year 2008-09, when the engineers allegedly recorded inflated measurements of a road improvement work executed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Maneswar Block, thereby misappropriating government money.
The Court found both Pradhan and Dash guilty and sentenced each of them to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of two years along with a fine.
Following their conviction, Odisha Vigilance will now approach the competent authority for the stoppage of pension of Pradhan, who is a retired Assistant Engineer, and for the dismissal from service of Dash, who is currently posted as Assistant Engineer in the Brutang Irrigation Project at Daspalla in Nayagarh district.
