Odisha Vigilance Secures Conviction in Sambalpur Corruption Case
Sambalpur, April 25: The Odisha Vigilance Department has secured the conviction of two engineers in a corruption case linked to MGNREGS road improvement work (2008–2009) in Sambalpur’s Maneswar Block.
The convicted officials are Sadananda Pradhan, retired Assistant Engineer of Maneswar Block, and Biranchi Narayan Dash, Assistant Engineer of Brutang Irrigation Project, Nayagarh. Investigations revealed that both engineers had recorded inflated measurements to misappropriate government funds.
The Special Vigilance Court in Sambalpur sentenced them to two years rigorous imprisonment along with fines under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and relevant IPC sections for criminal breach of trust, forgery, and conspiracy.
Administrative measures have also been initiated:
- Proposal to stop pension benefits of retired engineer Pradhan.
- Recommendation for dismissal from service of Dash.
This judgment underscores Odisha Vigilance’s zero tolerance toward corruption and reinforces accountability in public works.
