Bhubaneswar, May 14 (UNI) Odisha Vigilance has arrested five forest department officials for allegedly embezzling government funds amounting to Rs 80 lakh under the "Compensatory Afforestation Scheme" in the Kalahandi South Forest Division during the 2023–24 financial year.

According to sources from Odisha Vigilance, an enquiry was initiated based on credible inputs regarding large-scale misappropriation of government funds under the scheme in the Jaipatna Range of Kalahandi Sout Forest Division.

A verification of the plantations under the scheme was carried out by four teams comprising 25 officers from Odisha Vigilance. A thorough enumeration was conducted at several plantation sites within the Jaypatna Range.

The enumeration revealed significant shortfalls in plantation work and misappropriation of funds at five sites. The investigation further uncovered that the plantation funds had been diverted to multiple fictitious labour accounts and withdrawn shortly afterward.

Following the enquiry, prima facie evidence was established against the following forest officials: Sairendri Bag, Deputy Ranger and In-Charge of Jaipatna Range; Umesh Rout and Debraj Sunani, Foresters; and Ashok Kumar Sahu and Lalit Naik, Forest Guards — all posted in Jaipatna Range.

They were found to be involved in the misappropriation of Rs79,54,635 by falsifying records and failing to carry out the plantation work during the 2023–24 fiscal year.

In this connection, the Koraput Vigilance has registered a case on May 12 under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended by the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and Sections 316(5), 318(4), 336(3), 340(2), and 61(2) of the BNS against the five officials.

All five accused were arrested on Tuesday and produced before the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhawanipatna. The investigation is ongoing.

UNI DP ARN