Bhubaneswar, Jul 23: In a major crackdown, Odisha Vigilance has exposed widespread irregularities in land acquisition involving several high-ranking government officials. The revelations came as part of an ongoing investigation into disproportionate asset (DA) cases, uncovering a shocking pattern of illegal property accumulation. Some officials were found to possess over 100 land plots, raising serious concerns about corruption and abuse of power.
Topping the list is Nityananda Nayak, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Keonjhar Division, who was found with 115 land plots-an amount far exceeding his known sources of income. Close behind is Pravas Kumar Pradhan, Chief Construction Engineer of the Anandpur Barrage Project in Keonjhar, with 105 plots in his name.
The Vigilance Directorate has released a detailed list of other senior officials involved in similar irregularities:
Rama Chandra Mishra, Joint Commissioner of Excise, Bhubaneswar – 52 plots
Pradeep Kumar Rath, Addl. Chief Engineer, OBCC – 50 plots
Sunil Kumar Rout, Chief Construction Engineer, Bolangir – 34 plots
Kailash Chandra Sahu, Chief Engineer, Keonjhar – 28 plots
Rama Chandra Satapathy, AEE, Dhenkanal – 22 plots
Suresh Kumar Panigrahi, CSO, Subarnapur – 19 plots
Biswanath Patro, AEE, Jeypore Municipality – 18 plots
Padmanava Hota, Asst. Mining Officer, Keonjhar – 15 plots
Narayan Chandra Nayak, Sub-Collector, Dhenkanal – 14 plots
Dharanidhar Nayak, Dy. Director of Mines, Talcher – 11 plots
Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, Joint Commissioner, STA – 11 plots
Suryamani Pattajoshi, Executive Officer, Jatni Municipality – 11 plots
N. Dillip Kumar Choudhury, AEE, Berhampur – 11 plots
Rebati Raman Joshi, ACF, Sambalpur – 10 plots
Subash Chandra Panda, DGM (Engg), Police Housing Corporation – 9 plots
Susanta Kumar Sethy, AE, Nuapada – 9 plots
Dileswar Majhi, AEE, Bolangir – 9 plots
Bibhudananda Mishra, Forest Ranger, Dhenkanal – 8 plots
Tara Prasad Mishra, Former Chief Engineer (R&B) – 7 plots
Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, Chief Engineer, Plan Roads – 7 plots
Susil Kumar Panda, AEE, Ganjam – 6 plots
In a particularly glaring case, Dayanidhi Bag, former Executive of the Watershed Department in Rayagada, was found to have illegally acquired 84 acres of land.
This large-scale corruption has raised alarm across the state, with public demand growing for strict action and thorough investigation into the source of such vast property holdings. Odisha Vigilance continues its probe to bring all involved to justice.
