Works Department mission falls flat, Top official grabs contracts in kin’s name

BHUBANESWAR: The Works Department responsible for construction and maintenance of all infrastructure in the State, has now become like a rudderless ship and lost direction thanks to the manipulations by some dishonest top officials, who are bending every law in the book to fatten their pockets with connivance with their relatives and acquaintances.

A glaring example is incumbent Engineer-in Chief (Civil) Manoranjan Mishra, who is holding charge of Chief Engineer (Roads) allegedly roped in his own relatives to bag the contracts and works and he is also even working as a partner in some consultant firms. Mishra is accused of bagging contracts in the name of one Niranjan Samantray throughout Odisha misusing his position as Chief Engineer (Roads)  

1. “Top official grabs contracts in kin’s name, manipulating transfers and postings.”
2. “Incumbent Engineer-in Chief accused of using position to fatten pockets with connivance of relatives and acquaintances.”
3. “Allegations of irregularities in sanction of contracts and deviations, without Works Secretary’s knowledge.”
4. “Manipulation of transfer and posting process to fulfill illegal purposes, raising doubts about intentions.”
5. “Calls for probe by Election Commission regarding suspected misuse of vacant post for personal gain during general elections.”

The EIC is also in direct partnership with a consultancy firm, SM consultant and taking huge amount of kickbacks by giving the firm different works for supply of design, soil data, detailed project reports (DPR) without calling for tenders.  He is also carrying out executing work in all divisions in Ganjam district in the name of his relative Ramesh Sabat, who is staying near hi residence in Brahmapur, reliable sources said.

Sources also further alleged that Mishra is carrying out irregularities in sanction of EOT, deviation using his position as Chief Engineer (Roads) and EIC (Civil) . He is proposing Extension of Time (EOT) without penalty and huge deviation in work as CE (Roads) and accepting as EIC (Civil) without the knowledge of the Works Secretary.

To make matters worse, although the power of EIC related to transfer and posting is limited to only Junior Engineers but in connivance he manages the posting up to Chief Engineers for fulfilling his illegal purposes, as it is evident for grabbing additional post of Chief Engineer (DPI and Roads)in addition to his present post of EIC although all posts of CEs have been filled up leaving the post of CE (Roads) lying vacant. The million dollar question if all the posts were filled up why the Chief Engineer (Roads) was kept vacant.

It is alleged that Mishra kept the post in his direct control to earn huge kickbacks in the guise of collecting funds for the forthcoming general elections. This should be probed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to unearth the truth. Mishra is also not informing the State Government about the   transfers and postings of top officials in the Works Department as per the norms. This has raised many doubts about his intentions.