Odisha: Forester held for misappropriating over Rs 55 lakh govt funds

Bhubaneswar: A Forester in Kalahandi district was arrested by the Odisha Vigilance on Friday on charges of misappropriating government funds worth over Rs 55 lakh during 2024-25 financial year.

Jaya Kumar Juad, a Forester at the office of Forest Range Officer at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi, allegedly misappropriated government funds worth Rs 55.04 lakh by preparing false muster rolls and vouchers in Soil and Moisture Conservation (SMC) works at plantation sites under Thuamul Rampur Forest Section during the 2024-25, said the Vigilance.

Modus operandi of the accused Forester 

The accused allegedly misappropriated funds allocated under Compensatory Afforestation and Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Compensatory Afforestation (CA) and Catchment Plan Area (CPA), it added.

According to the Vigilance Department, investigation suggests that the Forester and his accomplices bypassed financial safeguards at three specific plantation sites under the Thuamul Rampur Forest Section by fabricating muster rolls through creating lists of non-existent labourers or inflating work hours, and forging vouchers through submitting false bills for materials and logistics that were never procured or utilized.     

The accused has been booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 and BNS. “The investigation is still underway and the accused would be produced in a local court,” said the Vigilance Department.