To
The Chief Secretary,
Govt. of Odisha, Lok Seva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar
The Director General of
Police, Govt. of Odisha, Police Headquarter, Cuttack
The Director, Crime
Branch, Police Headquarter, Cuttack
Sub- Request for inquiry into cryptic foreign visit of Sri Naveen Patnaik,
former Chief Minister with his 5T Public Servant Sri V.K. Pandian including Sri
Rabikant, former Resident Commissioner, New Delhi resulting embezzlement of few
crores of public fund.
Sir
We the Social Activists working for transparency and
governance reform in Odisha bring to the notice of your esteemed office the
following fact of serious concern of the
public at large for raising the matter
in the august assembly and demand for inquiry.
1. In view of series of News touching headlines of
newspapers published in 2022 and 2023 about foreign visits of Sri Naveen Patnaik , Former Chief
Minister along with Sri V.K. Pandian and dozens of officers and massive propaganda
in Social media, we, out of curiosity had filed series of RTI Applications in different offices/Departments seeking information about details of the foreign
visit of Sri Naveen Patnaik, former Chief Minister who led
the delegation to different countries,
purpose and outcome of the visit
and expenses made for it . The
information supplied during that time was incomplete and misleading and mostly
denied citing some flimsy reasons. vital information was suppressed. When the
information was suppressed by the officials, it was apprehended that there is
something important documents which are being deliberately kept secret to cover
up misutilization of Govt. money.
2. After new Govt. came to power, we renewed our efforts
again to access the above-mentioned
information by filling multiple RTI Applications in various Department. It took
several months to collate all the information by conducting series of follow up
action in terms of filling RTI
Applications and First Appeals repeatedly.
3. The official order issued by Department of GA and PG
dated 23.2.23 reveals that “ as a
follow up to the Make- in-Odisha Conclave 2022 wherein Japan had
participated as a Partner Country, the
State Government had decided to send a delegation of senior functionaries to
Japan led by Naveen Patnaik, the then Chief Minister for attracting
investments, manufacturing trade promotion and tourism.” IPICOL was entrusted to coordinate the
programme. FICCI was awarded the work to manage the total event of the Investors’ Meet in Japan on behalf of the
Govt. As per the information obtained
from IPICOL as well as OTDC, it is ascertained that OTDC booked Air ticket for
members of the delegation of 17 officials (Sri Pratap Keshari Deb, Former
Minister, Sri Pradeep Jena, the then Chief Secretary, Sri Hemant Sharma IAS,
Sri Vineel Krishna IAS, Bhupendra Singh Poonia IAS, IPICOL Officials Like
Kalyan Charan Mohanty, Deepak Singh, Varanasi Arjun and others) amounting Rs.
63 lakhs and a total amount of Rs. 9.80
crores advanced to FICCI to meet all
expenses of the 9-day programme scheduled from 2rd to 11th
April, 2023. ( Annexture-1)
4. it is observed that Air ticket of Sri Naveen Patnaik
and Sri V.K.Pandian was found missing.
On query about missing of Airticket of Sri Patnaik and Sri Pandian, OTDC as
well as IPICOL responded no such ticket had been booked for them. Then the question arises how did they visit
Japan to attend the conclave. Multiple RTI Applications were filed to different
departments, like Department of GA and PG, Department of Parliamentary Affairs,
office of Chief Minister, Department of Transport to access the information
about any flight booked for them. The information sought for is as follows
“Provide copy of all Bills along with all annextures
following which payments has been made against expenses for foreign visit of
Sri Naveen Patnaik, former Chief Minister along with other dignitaries during
2022-23 and 2023-24”.
5. On 7.7.25, the Department of Transport, Govt. of
Odisha supplied a Bill amounting Rs. 1,63,02,880 (one crore sixty-three lakh
two thousand eight hundred eighty) paid against hiring of Charter Flight
provided for Naveen Patnaik on 3.4.23 (from Bhubaneswar to Singapore) and on
11.4.23 (from Bangkok to Bhubaneswar). It means Sri Naveen Patnaik and Sri
V.K.Pandian had travelled to Japan via
Singapore on 3.4.23 and returned to Bhubaneswar via Bangkok (Annexture-2)
. The question arises why both Sri Patnaik and Sri Pandian went to Singapure by
a special Aircraft and who are others accompanied them to Singapore. This
question was asked to Department of GA and PG and office of the Chief Minister,
Odisha. The PIO of both the offices
responded non-availability of information which requires a thorough
inquiry by an Investigating Agency.
6. It is surprising that FICCI has not submitted any copy
of Bills about the stay of Naveen
Patnaik and V.K.Pandian in Japan. To find out the agency or person who paid the
Bill and total amount paid for it, series of RTI Applications were filed to
different offices including Department of Parliamentary Affairs. Tactical
information were asked broadly to
Department of Parliamentary Affairs on 8.2.25 which is as follows.
i. Provide
date and duration in which Naveen Patnaik, former Chief Minister made foreign
tour and name of Ministers and Officers accompanied him and its purpose of
foreign visit
ii. Provide name of -Ex-Minister and Ex-MLA MLA
who made foreign visit officially and privately, date of their visit and
purpose
iii. Total expenses made for visit of former
Chief Minister and his team (Trip -wise)
iv. Total
expenses made for foreign Visit of Ex-Minister and Ex- MLAs
On 5.3.25, the PIO
furnished expenses made in foreign visit of Sri Naveen Patnaik along with
delegation but did not mention name of the foreign country to which Sri Patnaik
Visited and kept it secret. (Annexture-3) .
7. Another RTI Application dated 11.5.25 was filed to
same Department of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Odisha seeking the
following information in reference to the abovementioned information.
“Provide copy of all Bills along with all annextures
following which payments has been made against expenses for foreign visit of
Sri Naveen Patnaik, former Chief Minister along with other dignitaries during
2022-23 and 2023-24.
On 22.5.25, the Department of Parliamentary Affairs
provided the following information.
“The expenditure made towards visit of delegation led
by former Chief Minister to Italy and to Japan had been paid to the office of
Chief Resident Commissioner, Government of Odisha, New Delhi. The payment had
been made under the account had “Demand No. 29-2013-Council of Ministers
-108-Tour Expenses-1406-Tour Expenses of Ministers and Deputy
Ministrs-06001-Travel Expenses (Voted)”. (Annexture-4)
8. To find out all Bill and Vouchures paid for Japan and
Italy visit of Sri Naveen Patnaik and Sri V.K.Pandian, RTI Application was
submitted to the PIO, office of Chief Resident Commissioner, New Delhi. On
27.10.25, the PIO sent copy of letter No. 1727/CRC dated 21.6.25 addressed to
the OSD-cum-Additional Secretary, Parliamentary Affairs Department. The content
of the letter is as follows.
“ xxxxxxx
details of Bill and Vouchures (
in original) in respect of foreign visit of former Chief Minister, Odisha
amounting Rs. 67,65,576/- only towards visit of Japan and Rs. 82,92,449/- only
towards visit to Italy and Dubai”. (Annexture-5)
9. Again, RTI Application was filed to the PIO,
Department of Parliamentary Affairs seeking copy of all Bill and vouchures
against expenses of foreign visit of former Chief Minister. On 4.11.25, the PIO
supplied complete copy of all the Bill and vouchures against expenses made for
Japan and Italy visit of former Chief Minister and Sri Pandian. ( Annexture-6)
10. While examining the Bill, some interesting and serious
information was found that ignoring OTDC,
Sri Pandian and Sri Rabikant , former Resident Commissioner had engaged
two travel agencies based at Delhi namely TRAVEL CONSULANTZ and Multinational
Tours, Lucknow, Uttra Pradesh for booking Air tickets and hotels and vehicles
for visit of Sri Patnaik to Japan and Italy.
11. From the bills, it was found that Sri Naveen Patnaik, Sri V.K. Pandian and Sri
Rabikant and Sri Chandra Sekhar Patra, Caretaker of Sri Patnaik had visited to
Rome, Italy and stayed there for 6 days from 20th to 25th
June, 2022 and returned to Dubai to join Investors’ Meet held from 26th
to 30th June, 2022.
12. RTI Application was filed to many Departments
including Department of GA and PG and office of Chief Minister, Odisha and
office of Chief Resident Commissioner, New Delhi seeking details of itinerary
and the purpose of visit of Italy. All
the departments and offices responded that no such information was available (
Annexture-7) Only one letter was
found from the Bills that is
an order of Governor dated 15.6.22 issued by GA and PG Dept. in
which the Governor has accorded sanction for visit of Sri Ravikant , IPS,
resident Commissioner to accompany the former Chief Minister as part of the
delegation , on the invitation of the World Food Program ( WFP) to visit their Headquarters in Rome to share
the transformational initiatives
by Government of Odisha in the
field of agriculture, Food Security, Livelihoods and Disaster Management (
Annexture-8). But we could not
get the copy of any single letter of invitation from any department of World
Food Programme, Rome from any department. Even there is no copy of any
correspondence made with Govt. of Italy or Rome for visit of Sri Naveen Patnaik
which is still mystery. The question is Why Sri Naveen Patnaik and Sri
V.K.Pandian and Sri Rabikant had visited Rome “ What is their motive / agenda behind such
high-profile and expensive tour at the cost of state exchequer (Rs. 83.00
lakh).
13. The moot question is why Ravikant, IPS officer visited
Rome accompanying Sri Naveen Patnaik. Sri Ravikant is not expert in the field
of Disaster Management and Food Security to speak or make presentation in World
Food Programme. Secondly, we could not get the hotel Bill of Sri V.K. Pandian.
Where did he stay in Rome? Did he visit
some other countries from Rome leaving Sri Naveen Patnaik at the disposal of
Sri Ravikant. Who are others visited and accompanied Naveen Patnaik. During 2022, name of Sradha, a lady was
discussed in media who accompanied Naveen Patnaik to Rome. It requires high-level inquiry by CBI to
remove confusion, speculation from the mind of the people of Odisha about his
mysterious visit to Rome. The role of
V.K.Pandian is very suspicious which requires thorough inquiry.
14. The Hotel Bill paid for Naveen Patnaik is Rs. 36 lakhs
for six days stay in high profile hotel named ROME CAVALIERI (Napoleon
Suite). Why Naveen Patnaik stayed
for six days in Italy alone while Pandian left Rome to other countries for some
other work. What was Sri Naveen Patnaik
doing in Rome. Day-wise report and his itinerary is not available in any
department. ( Bill- Annexture-8)
Area of Concern which requires to be enquired by an
investigative agency like CBI.
A.
Why
Sri Naveen Patnaik and Sri V.K.Pandian went to Singapore by special charter
flight on 3.4.23 and stayed there
before leaving for Tokyo. Who others had
accompanied them from Bhubaneswar to Singalore. The Dept. of GA and PG and
Office of Chief Minister and Department of Transport could not provide the
information about name of the persons travelled in Charter Flight from
Bhubaneswar to Singapore. As the public
money is involved, the people of Odisha have right to know about it.
B.
Why
Naveen Patnaik and Sri Pandian returned from Tokyo to Bangkok and stayed there
before returning to Bhubaneswar by special charter flight.
C.
Why a
private agency was paid Rs. 67 lakhs
for booking flight from Singapore to Tokyo and return flight from Tokyo to
Bangkok and booking hotels at Tokyo for Naveen Patnaik and Sri Pandian?
D.
Why
Sri Naveen Patnaik and Sri V.K.Pandian
and Sri Rabikant visited to Rome, Italy for long six days from 20th to 25th
June, 2022? Why no documentary proof of
their visit or itinerary is not available in any Department?
E.
What
is the purpose of visit of Sri Patnaik for staying in Rome for six days. what
was he doing there. Why itinerary of Naveen Patnaik is not available.
F.
Why
Ravikant, an IPS police officer accompanied Naveen Patnaik to Rome?
G. Where did Sri Pandian go from Rome? Not a single amount paid for hotel Bill of Sri Pandian. It is suspected that Sri
Pandian leaving Sri Naveen Patanaik at
the disposal of Sri Ravikant visited to
some other countries with ulterior motive which requires investigation.
H.
The
outcome of visit of Sri Naveen Patnaik to Italy and Japan is big zero. It is
completely wastage of public money. All
the officers are required to submit their tour diary.
We request your
office to kindly pass an order for inquiry into it for
bringing fact and truth behind visit of
Sri Naveen Patnaik, former Chief Minister, Govt. of Odisha and his
associates.
Yours sincerely
Pradip Kumar Pradhan Pratap
Mohanty
Plot No.S-82, Maitree Vihar At/Post-Talasanga, Via-Marshaghai
Post-Rail Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751023 Dist-Kendrapara-754213
M-9937843482 M-9040222335
Date-5.2.26
Sanjukta Panigrahi
Plot No-396/4306, Kanak Durga Nagar
C.S.Pur, Bhubaneswar
M-9337903294
