Odisha Govt Suspends Three Engineers Over Alleged Irregularities in Bargarh Canal Project

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government on Monday placed three engineers of the Water Resources Department under suspension over alleged irregularities in the execution of a canal infrastructure project in Bargarh district.

The suspended officials are Madan Mohan Sethy, Superintending Engineer of Bargarh Irrigation Division, Raj Kumar Mishra, Assistant Executive Engineer of Bheden Irrigation Sub-Division, and Ranjan Patel, Assistant Engineer of Bargarh Canal Section.

According to an official order, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the officers for alleged lapses in the construction of a box conduit over the Bargarh distributary under the Phase-I canal front development project in Bargarh town. The work pertains to the canal stretch between RD 3561 metres and RD 5473 metres.

Invoking Rule 12(1) of the Odisha Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1962, the government placed the three officials under suspension with immediate effect pending completion of the disciplinary inquiry.
During the suspension period, Sethy will remain attached to the office of the Engineer-in-Chief, Water Resources, Odisha, Bhubaneswar, while Mishra and Patel have been directed to report to the office of the Chief Engineer and Basin Manager, Mahanadi Basin, Burla. They have also been barred from leaving their respective headquarters without prior approval from the competent authority.

The order stated that the suspended officers will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per Rule 90 of the Odisha Service Code. Further investigation into the alleged irregularities is underway.