Sambalpur: SDA is now a hub of corruption, officers are looting people

Sambalpur: It has been 4 years since the Sambalpur Development Authority (SDA) chairman post has been vacant while the state government has played with the people of Sambalpur and robbed the people of the government. The Sambalpur Development Authority has now become a hotbed of corruption. Starting from the planning member of this organization, Bandita Mohapatra, 4 employees along with 3 other members of their cheating gang have been arrested in the housing scheme fraud.

Sambalpur Development Authority (SDA) is the soul center of Western Odisha to carry out the planned development of Sambalpur. After the last election of 2019, SDA Chairman Vijay Mohanty resigned from his post and no one else has been appointed. In all other development authorities and corporations of the state, the ruling BJD has appointed its party leader as chairman. In some places, retired government officials have also been rehabilitated. An exception is found only in the case of SDA. In Sambalpur, there are various groups in BJD. Starting from many old leaders who have been shining for the party for years, youths are also claimants for this position. However, the ruling BJD government probably does not consider any of these leaders worthy. However, the consequences are now being suffered by the people of Sambalpur. Due to the absence of the chairman, the development work in SDA has stopped. The Authority Meeting has not been sitting since 2019. The chairman keeps going to this office along with the vice chairman for various meetings and other functions.

Various tasks are supervised. Now that doesn’t happen. People are forced to run to the SDA office just because planning permission is required for the construction of houses. The advantage of SDA’s lack of supervision has suited the gang. After initially harassing those who applied for plan passes, the group then went on a rampage overnight by ordering fake plan approvals for the applicants. SDA employee Laxminarayan Samal alias Bulu (32), steno Sudshanshu Pati, and three outsiders who were helping them Vikas Jagat, Dambarudhar Tripathi, and Ajay Behera were arrested by the police in the first phase. During the investigation of this case, the police arrested architect Manas Chaini along with Bandita Mohapatra, SDA planning member and in-charge of city planning of the metropolitan corporation, who reported to the police station that the plans were being burnt.

Now there is only one junior officer in this department of SDA. This fraud gang has been active since 2021. Initially, the police said that Rs 3.31 crore was defrauded from 54 people. However, after this, the complaint is pending. The victims of fraud are coming to the police station and complaining. Mr. Samal’s mother is a district leader of the ruling party. On the other hand, photos of Vikas Jagat with two former ministers of Western Odisha and another influential minister leader are doing the rounds on social media. While the home construction is still pending, many people are unsure of what to do. However, people are blaming the state government of BJD for this situation.