Why Govt. of Odisha is dilly-dallying to act on Recommendation of Task Force

Why   Govt. of Odisha is dilly-dallying to act on Recommendation of Task Force on Land Scam  in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack

Dear friends

3 years passed since submission of Task Force Report constituted to find out details of irregularities in respect of allotment of land /plot by BDA, CDA, Odisha State Housing Board and General Administration Department in 2014, not a single land was recovered by Govt.  nor anybody got arrested  for taking land illegally  or through filling false affidavit or misleading information  and under Discretionary Quota.   The Action taken  by various authorities  is limited  to  only issuing notice  to  the lease holders of land.  Chief Minister  deliberately  does not want any  enquiry  into it  and   any action against anybody. IDCO  which  is epi-centre  of all types of irregularities  in allotment of land by flouting all laws and regulations   was kept out of purview of inquiry  by Task Force.  It is needless to mention here that Sri Achyut Samant, founder of KIIT, biggest land mafia of Bhubaneswar  has acquired more than  100 acres of land through fraudlent means  in connivance   with  corrupt officials of IDCO  like Vishal Dev.   The people  who  have taken  multiple plot  from different authorities like BDA, CDA, GA and OSHB  and under DQ  are BJD MLAs, Ministers,  IAS  and IPS officers  closely associated  with him . Nabin Patnaik also  patronised  these land Mafias. The review  conducted  by Chief Secretary  is just a farce and eye-wash  exercise  and   designed to deceive the people.

I present herewith IAS and IPS officers   who barring few, have taken multiple plots  in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack   from different authorities. Though Chief Minister is quite aware about it, he has not taken any steps  against  them.  

 Plot allotted to IAS and IPS officers under Discretionary Quota by Cuttack Development Authority

(Information obtained under RTI on  18.7.16 )

Sl.No.	Name of IAS/IPS officers allotted  with plots under DQ	Plot No	Sector
1	Rajendra Mohan Pattnaik, IPS	C-1159	06
2	Sri C.R.Pal, IPS	C-1170	06
3	Sri Anadi Sahoo, IPS	D-1224	06
4	Sri Umashankar Mishra, IPS	C-1247	06
5	Sri Bipin Bihari Mishra, IPS	C-1222	06
6	Sri Bana Bihari Panda , IPS	C-1383/4	06
7	Sri Prakash Mishra, IPS	C-1377/4	06
8	Sri M.Akshaya, IPS	C-1378/4	06
9	Sri S.K.Chatterjee, IPS	C-1377/3	06
10	Sri bata Krustan Tripathy , IPS	C-779	08
11	Sri Surendra Nath Swain, IPS	B-699	08
12	Sri Bijay Kumar Sharma, IPS	B-738	08
13	Sri Satyajeet Mohanty, IPS	B-917/3	09
14	Sri Prasanna Kumar  Nayak, IAS	B-1159/18	09
15	Sri Bidya Bhusan Mohanty, IPS	B-1159/28	09
16	Sri Upendra Nath Behera, IAS	6GH/1150/C-26	09
17	Sri harihar Panda , IAS	6GH/1150/C-28	09
18	Sri Binay Behera, IPS	6GH/1150/C-18	09
19	Sri Mana Mohan Praharaj, IPS	6GH/1150/C-3	09
20	Sri Asutosh Mishra, IPS	1C/32	09
21	Sri Bala Krustan Sahoo, IAS	2C/80/5	11
22	Sri Bidhu Bhusan Mishra, IPS	4C/1388	11
23	Sri Sudhansu Sarangi, IPS	3B/1293	13
24	Sri Binay Nanda, IPS	3B/1234	13
25	Sri Manoj Chhabra, IPS	4C/1557	13

Allotment of Plot under Discretionary Quota / Lottery in favour of Minister/MLA/IAS/IPS/IFS officers by BDA

Sl.No.	Scheme	Name of allottees	Asset No.	Mode of allotment	Year of allotment	Remarks
1	Kalinga Nagar Plotted  Development Scheme	Bishnupada Sethi, IAS	K9B-137	Discretionary Quota	2007
2	DO	Krustan Ch. Badu, IAS	K7-629	DO	2003	Transferred to  Soumen Kumar Badu  by way of Gift on 30.5.2009
3	DO	Maheswar Naik, MLA	K8-618	DQ	1996	Transferred to Smita Patnaik on 22.7.2000
4	DO	Ujal Singh Bhatia, IAS	K9B-502	DQ	1996
5	DO	Alaka Panda, IAS	K8-B	DQ	1996
6	DO	Ram Ch. Pradhan, MLA	K8-123	DQ	1996
7	DO	Bijay Kumar  Nayak, MLA	K9B-19B	DQ	1996
8	DO	Goutam Kumar Das, IAS	K7-37	DQ	1996
9	DO	Dillip Ku. Samantaray, IAS	K8-311	DQ	1996
10	DO	G. Mohan Kumar, IAS	K8-72	DQ	1996	Transferred to  Amar Ku.  Mohanty & Manashree Mishra o 22.10.13
11	DO	Reena Mitra, IAS	K9B-129	DQ	1996
12	DO	Nilanjan Sanyal, IAS	K8-112	DQ	1996
13	DO	Arundaya Swain, IAS	K9B-148	DQ	1996
14	DO	Sobhana Ku. Patnaik, IAS	K9B-216	DQ	1996
15	DO	Satyajit Mohanty, IPS	K9B-389	DQ	1996	Transferred to Sanjiv Valla and Rajiv Valla on 5.1.01.
16	DO	Janak Digal, IAS	K8-1182	DQ	1996	Transferred to Tusar  Ranjan sahu on 25.2.10
17	DO	Hawasingh Chahar, IAS	K9B-101	DQ	1997	Transferred  to Jayant Ku. Pradhan on 12.11.12
18	DO	Santosh Ku. Sarangi, IAS	K9A-224	DQ	1996
19	DO	Umesh Chandra Sarangi, IPS	K9B-134	Lottery	1995

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 23.12.17

Bureaucrats looting Energy Dept. and OPTCL in Odisha

OPTCL- An Institution of Secrecy with huge Corruption for benefit of corporate house and bureaucrats

(Exposed under RTI)

Dear friends

 After receipt of information under RTI on 11.7.17,  a team of RTI Activists  had  filed  complaint  dated 24.7.17 to Chief Secretary, Govt. of Odisha seeking vigilance inquiry into huge corruption and irregularities in the matter of selection of Final Bidder M/s High Tech Systems & Services for supply of “12 nos. new design ERS Towers suitable for 400kv transmission line network of OPTCL as per Tender (No. Sr. G.M.-CPC-ICB-ERS-24/2015) for ERS (Emergency Restoration Service) suitable for 400KV Transmission line Network for OPTCL. Because  this Company  has been selected  without  following due tender procedure.  I had also appraised  Chief Secretary  that this  corruption is masterminded  by Hemant Shamra, IAS, CMD of OPTCL  and to stop release of  money to the said Company.

  But the Chief Secretary did not take any steps to stop release of money.  In the meantime,  on 18.7.17, OPTCL hurriedly   released money  amounting Rs. 5,09,77,869.00  ( 80% of total fund Rs. 6,90,24,822.00 sanctioned ) to M/s Hitech Systems and Services Ltd., Kolkatta, a channel partner of  Tower Solutions, Canada, the manufacturing Company Tower Solutions, Canada  without any testing of materials.

Then, I field RTI Application for inspection of materials supplied by the Company. My application was kept pending for 4 months without any response and I was not allowed for inspection. When I filed first appeal dt. 26.10.17, the PIO immediately sent me a letter for  inspection of materials. However, On 15.11.17, I was allowed for inspection of ERS materials in presence of store keepers of stores of OPTCL located at Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar.  After  reaching on the spot, I met  General Manager, Stores Division and store-keepers  to show the materials and asked them  to  explain technicalities of materials.  They expressed their helplessness to explain me details, as they do not have idea about this technology. On query about who are the technical persons of OPTCL having knowledge about this technology, they replied that no such technical person is available in OPTCL. I got astonished why OPTCL purchased these ERS materials, when it does not have expertise to handle it. During inspection, I also observed  that  the materials  supplied  do not belong to  that company  which was awarded   final bidder.  The Tower Solutions  is not at all Manufacturer Company.  The material has been mobilised from different companies  of other countries like Brazil and China. When I wanted to take photograph of the materials, I was not allowed to take it. The General Manager advised me to file another RTI to get the photograph of materials. 

Then, on 16.11.17, I submitted RTI Application to the PIO of OPTCL for further inspection of materials and seeking photograph of the said materials. Besides  that , I also wanted  to know   the  following information from OPTCL.

iv. Provide name of the technical expert who has  inspected the materials of Tower Solutions, Canada   before it is being supplied to OPTCL in 2017.

v. Provide name of officers or experts who have tested quality of ERS tower materials delivered to OPTCL   by Tower solutions, Canada

vi. Provide name of officers or technical experts  who are having expertise to handle   and fix  ERS materials supplied by Tower solutions, Canada.

 viii. Provide name of the technical experts of OPTCL  having knowledge and expertise  about  use of ERS suitable for 400KV Transmission line Network.

On 15.12.17, the  PIO  has denied  to provide me opportunity to take photograph   of the materials while  giving his consent for inspection. Now  it is clear  that  as all  ERS materials  are fake  and  low grade  and now  product of Tower Solutions,  the OPTCL officials are not allowing  to take photograph of materials.  There is huge transaction of kickbacks  among top officials  of OPTCL to  finalise tender  in favour of Tower Solutions.  The documents provided by Tower Solutions are fake and forged which I had demanded for inquiry.

Regarding technicalities of ERS materials, I had sought the information about  name of  technical experts  who inspected the materials before it was shipped or dispatch, officers who have inspected materials at OPTCL site after it is delivered etc.  As per Inspection clause of Purchase order no. 953-000310 dt. 22.6.2016, the  following terms and conditions has been cited.

“ The materials covered  by the Purchase Order are subject to inspection  and testing  anytime prior to shipment  and / or dispatch  and /to final inspection  within a reasonable time  after arrival at site. Inspectors  shall have right to carry out inspection  and testing  which will include  the raw materials at manufacturer’s  shop  and at the time  of actual  dispatch before and after completion of packing.”

On 15.12.17, the PIO  has provided the  information no technical  inspector has  undertaken any inspection of materials  at Manufacturer’s site  and prior to shipment. Even OPTCL  does not  have expertise  nor any technical person  to handle ERS technology. Now the question comes how  and why OPTCL hurriedly purchased  ERS Tower for 400KV line without technical  inspection.  As there was huge deal of money and kickbacks by top officials in Govt. of Odisha, the officials of OPTCL  has arbitrarily  and illegally  given this order to a Private foreign company  for the purchase of materials.   The Top officials have taken huge money as bribe  to  award this tender.

This is how  top IAS officers  are looting Odisha and State   exchequer.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 23.12.17 

Status of ATR on Task Force Report on Land Scam in Odisha

Status of ATR on Task Force Report on Land Scam in Odisha

(Not a single plot recovered and   no action taken against anybody involved in land scam    by State Govt.  since three  years)

In view of CAG report about  alleged irregularities in allotment of land/houses/flats by Bhubaneswar Development Authority(BDA), Cuttack Development Authority (CDA),Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) and General Administration (GA) Department, the State Government had constituted a  Task Force  on dated 2.8.2014  to review all the allotment of more than one land/houses/flats to the members of the same family and allotment under discretionary quota to ineligible persons from 1995 to 2014 and submit its report within 4 months.  The Task Force led by Dr. Taradatt, Addl. Chief Secretary with the members such as Commissioner-cum-Secretary, H&UD Department and Special Secretary, Dept. of GA produced their report on 3.11.14. The report was placed before state cabinet on 18.12.14 and it was endorsed with   Action Taken Report   which was later on published in official Gazette on 30.1.2015. Three  years  have passed  since ATR, not  a single  land  has been   recovered  to Govt. fold  nor was   a single  allottee    arrested  by  the  Directorate of State  Vigilance. On 16.4.16 while  reviewing  the status  of Action taken  for  recovery of the  land allotted illegally  by BDA, CDA, OSHB and GA, the Chief Secretary  has   informed the press that 11  plots have been cancelled by BDA. CDA  has issued notice to 1091  for cancellation of plot allotted under DQ.  After this news was published,    RTI  Application  in June 2016 was  submitted  to  the  General  Administration Department, Bhubaneswar Development  Authority (BDA), Cuttack Development Authority (CDA),  Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB)  seeking  information about  details of  land  recovered  from the  people  who have  illegally taken the  land  or allotted under  Discretionary  Quota  and   name  of the  people  who returned the land and Action Taken  against the  people  who have taken  multiple  plot  by filling false  affidavit. While   BDA    refrained from  disclosure  of   any information,  CDA  provided   a list of  1091 allottees  who have  been issued  show-cause  notice in August 2016. No information was obtained from the General Administration Department.  State Vigilance  denied to provide any information  as the matter is under investigation. On 20.8.16, Odisha State Housing Board  provided the  information  that  66 people  allotted land under Discretionary Quota  and 24 people  taking multiple plots  by filling false affidavit  have been issued  show-cause notice.  The PIO denied  to disclose their names  as the matter is under investigation  by State Vigilance.

Similarly, again RTI Application was filed  to OSHB, BDA , CDA   to get the information about details of land / plot recovered   and action taken against illegal lease holders. On 4.12.17, the information provided by the PIO  is  that   show cause  notice has been issued  to 921  lease holders.  Not  a single plot  has been recovered.  But 12 no of plots  has been cancelled  on ground of multiple allotments. On 18.9.17.,  the PIO of OSHB  has provided the information that show cause notice has been issued  to 66 persons  allotted plot under DQ  and  24 persons  allotted multiple plots . But  no action  has been taken against them.  Similarly,  though  3 persons like Pranab Balabantaray, Snigdharani Sahu and  Sajjal Kumar Moulick  have applied for return of land, no  step has been taken  by OSHB  to get the land returned back. BDA  refused  to provide any  information about cancellation of  plot and name of the persons who have been issued notice. GA dept.  has not taken any steps  to list out  the  lease holders who have taken land during post-1995 period.

The details of Status of ATR is as follows.

Recommendation by  Task force	Action Taken  Report  declared by Govt.   in Dec. 2014	Present Status
1. All such plots allotted by Government in GA Department, BDA, CDA and OSHB should be resumed, if the allottees have failed  to construct houses within stipulated five years.	It  was accepted  by Govt.	No Action  has been taken till yet.
2. BDA, OSHB and GA Department in conjunction with each other should take up another exercise to obtain comprehensive details including the allotments made prior to 01 .01 .1995 to know the exact extent of individuals and families who have taken undue benefits of multiple allotments against the schematic provisions. Similar exercise is  to be  conducted  for Cuttack by CDA and OSHB together.	BDA, OSHB and GA  Department  will examine  the allotments  made prior  to 1.1.1995  at  Bhubaneswar  to determine  the exact  list  of allottees  who have  availed  the irregular  benefit  of more than  allotment  of land / flat/ house  against  the specific  schematic  provisions. CDA  and  OSHB  will make  similar exercise  for cuttack urban areas.  The Exercise  will be completed  within six months.	Not  a single step has been taken  by the BDA, CDA and OSHB  till yet.
3. Independent investigation/audit is necessary to quantify  the actual number of multiple allotments of plots/houses/flats by GA Department, BDA, CDA and OSHB against Affidavits/ Applications, both false and not false.	List  of  multiple  allotments  pointed  out by Task force  has been made  on the  limited  information supplied by BDA, CDA and OSHB. Finance Department therefore conduct a special audit of all  left out cases  of  multiple allotments  as recommended by task Force. Action should be taken  by the  concerned authorities  against the allottees.	Finance Department has not come out  with any audit report  till yet.
4. Beneficiaries who submitted false Affidavits/Declarations to get   allotments should also be proceeded against under the relevant provisions of law. The plots/houses/flats allotted to them should either be put to auction or allotted to deserving applicants through   lottery.	General  Administration  ( Vigilance)  Department  will  enquire  into those  cases  of  multiple allotments  to individuals/ families  where  such  allotments  have been  made  on the  basis  of false  affidavits  or  misleading  information  in violation of  specific    schematic  provision  and initiate  criminal action.	As per the information supplied by the Govt. ,   State Vigilance  has started  the enquiry. But  not  a single  land has  been recovered  and nobody has been arrested till yet.
5. All the  discretionary  allotment  made      after 1.1.1995  should be cancelled as such allotments  have been  invariably given undue Benefits  to  undeserving persons. Many well-placed and   connected individuals have received discretionary allotments more than once from BDA, CDA, OSHB.	BDA, OSHB, CDA and GA  Department  should cancel  the  multiple allotments, additional units allotted  to ineligible  individuals/ families  as pointed out  by the task Force  in its report  and resume the same  to the  concerned authorities.	Not a single Discretionary allotment has been cancelled.   BDA, CDA and OSHB could not supply any information under RTI.
6. Since the  lists of DQ allottees have been prepared on the  basis  of limited information  supplied by BDA, CDA, OHSB, further independent investigation/audit is recommended to be undertaken to find out the actual size of discretionary allotments  including those  not  placed  before the Task Force for discovery.	Finance  Department  will conduct  a special  audit  to find out  the actual  number  of discretionary allotments  made  after  1.1.1995  including those  not  placed  before  the Task Force  as recommended  by Task force.  Action should be  taken by  the  concerned  authorities  against these  left  out cases.	Finance Department  has not come out  will  any  special audit report till yet.
7.  Cancellation of all such   pre-possession transfers except in the event of death of the allottees  and  fixation of accountability  against  the  officials who granted permission   transfers. As regards post-possession   transfers,  the Task Force recommends  that such transfers by Discretionary Quota allottees  and multiple allottees should also be  cancelled.	BDA, CDA and  OSHB  should cancel  all allotments of  plot/house/flat under  Discretionary Quota  made  under  different schemes  after 1.1.1995 including  their  pre and post-possession  transfers  and the  plots/houses  and flats  should  be  resumed  to the  concerned  authorities.	No step  has been  taken  till yet.
8. The BDA, CDA and OSHB may be called upon to explain as to how they have permitted transfers of plots/houses/flats by allottees    without approval of the General Administration Department/ Revenue  and Disaster Management Department i.e., lessor. Stringent action may be taken  for permitting pre-possession transfers.	Nothing is mentioned in ATR.	No action Taken.
9. Recovery  may be made from allottees who have disposed the plots/houses/ flats  allotted to them    including  under Discretionary Quota and have applied and succeeded in getting allotments again including discretionary quota.	BDA, OSHB, CDA and GA  Department  should cancel  the  multiple allotments, additional units allotted  to ineligible  individuals/ families  as pointed out  by the task Force  in its report  and resume the same  to the  concerned authorities.	Not a single  land/plot  has been recovered  till today.
10. Allotment of plots/houses/flats without evident publicity or by notifying the scheme only on the office Notice Board needs to be viewed seriously and cancelled. Those responsible for implementing such scheme should be proceeded against departmentally and criminally.    Disciplinary action should be taken for implementing    schemes exclusively for the employees of the implementing agencies concerned and all such allotment should be cancelled.	Not  anything mentioned  in  Govt. ATR
11. Steps should be taken in a time bound manner for addressing the specific irregularities in the segment of the report.   The land meant    for housing but allotted otherwise   (for example, about 20 Ac.  Of such land had been given to SoA University by BDA) and land given for institutional purpose       but used for housing and otherwise should also be resumed.	G.A. Department  will work out  the modalities  of implementation of  the  Task Force  report  in a time bound manner  in consultation  with Law Department  and the Advocate  General.  This  exercise  is to be  completed  within 90 days.

Pradip Pradhan

State  Convener, Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan

M-9937843482

Date-21.12.17