Govt staffer arrested for possessing disproportionate assets

Berhampur: The state vigilance on Sunday arrested the assistant executive engineer of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) at Baliguda in Kandhamal district for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. On Saturday, the vigilance sleuths, during their search operations, found five multi-storeyed buildings, 14 high-value plots in Bhubaneswar, Rs 2 crore in his bank locker and around half a kg of gold ornaments and deposits of Rs 45 lakh linked to the govt official.The accused was identified as Baikuntha Nath Behera (52). He could not explain the sources of the properties satisfactorily.His assets are likely to increase as another bank locker, operated in the name of his spouse, is yet to be opened. The locker is likely to be opened on Monday, sources said.A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018, has been registered against Behera in the vigilance cell and further inquiry was underway, sources said.Behera joined the govt service on Aug 16, 1999, as junior engineer (civil) in Nabarangpur district with a monthly salary of Rs 6,000. On Feb 12, he was promoted to the rank of assistant executive engineer and posted at ITDA, Baliguda in Kandhamal district.The anti-corruption agency sources said Behera was the fifth person where they seized cash of more than Rs 1 crore during a search.The highest ever cash, over Rs 4.28 crore, was seized from Debabrata Mohanty, the deputy director of mines (Cuttack circle), on Feb 25, followed by Baikuntha Nath Sarangi, chief engineer (plan roads), rural works department (Rs 2.56 crore) on May 30 last year, Santnau Mohapatra, deputy director, watershed, Malknagiri (Rs 2.08 crore) on Feb 6, last year.The other major cash seizure by the vigilance wing was Rs 1.43 crore from Ram Chandra Nayak, deputy range, Jeypore forest range in Koraput district on July 25 last year and Rs 73.66 lakh from Jitendra Kumar Panda, additional tehsildar, Baranga, Cuttack on Dec 30 last year.