Bhubaneswar, July 3 (IANS) The Odisha Vigilance on Friday arrested two public servants for allegedly misappropriating over Rs 30 lakh in government funds meant for beneficiaries under the state government’s flagship social security scheme, the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY).

The accused officials are Sulamani Jani, former PEO of Gadamrugsira and Jamarsuan gram panchayats under Sadar Block in Puri district, currently attached to the Sadar Block Office, and Tuna Pradhan, former PEO of Sahupada gram panchayat under Kanas Block in Puri district, now attached to the Gop Block Office of the district.

“The accused duo is implicated in two separate cases of systematic financial fraud, collectively misappropriating government funds to the tune of Rs 30,78,620 earmarked for vulnerable beneficiaries under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY),” said a senior vigilance official.

An extensive investigation by Odisha Vigilance revealed that the accused officials exploited their administrative positions between the years 2022 and 2025 to orchestrate the fraud.

“Further, both the accused officials, namely Jani and Pradhan, were found to have misappropriated Rs 15, 74,820 and Rs 15,03,800 meant for elderly, disabled, and destitute individuals by retaining the undisbursed amount and diverting it to their gain,” the official added.

In this connection, Odisha Vigilance has registered cases (13/26 and 14/26) at the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Police Station under sections 13(2), 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 and section 316(5) BNS against the accused persons.

Notably, in another major crackdown on the embezzlement of government funds meant for beneficiaries under various state and central government social security schemes, the Odisha Vigilance on July 1 arrested two engineers in Kotagarh block of Kandhamal district for allegedly misappropriating government funds to the tune of Rs 42 lakh meant for development projects under the MGNREGS in the block.

The alleged corruption spanned a period of three years, from the financial year 2023-24 to 2025-26.

–IANS

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