Berhampur: The govt has issued a showcause notice to the Sanakhemundi block development officer (BDO) in Ganjam district for gross irregularities, financial misappropriation and violation of the erstwhile Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) guidelines in execution of works in the block.Siddharth Shankar Swain, director, special projects, panchayat raj and drinking water department, asked the BDO to reply to the showcause (served on March 30) within 15 days of receiving the notice.The BDO needs to reply as to why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against him for gross misconduct and dereliction of duty, recovery of misappropriation of govt funds and criminal proceedings should not be recommended against him for committing of fraud, falsification of records and corruption.He said the reply should be comprehensive and supported with documentary evidence in justification of the works executed and payments made. “ In case, no reply is received within the stipulated period, or if the reply submitted is found to be unsatisfactory, it will be presumed that you have no valid explanation to offer, and further action will be taken ex parte as per rule,” said Swain in the notice. The BDO, however, was unavailable to comment.The director has served the showcause to the BDO, Jitendra Kumar Mishra, after a govt team headed by AK Sahoo, additional secretary inspected works executed under the MGNREGS in the block on Feb 25 and 26. During inspection and verification of records, serious irregularities, procedural violations, misappropriation and systematic of records have been detected in multiple works.The team has also observed large-scale financial irregularities committed in execution of works, wherein excess wage payments made. Payments have been made without proper measurement. “In several cases, muster rolls were found to be unsigned, unauthenticated or generated during periods of work. The works were executed during the period that was not feasible like the rainy season or when the tanks were full of water.“As the BDO-cum-programme officer, you are the primary authority responsible for proper planning, execution, monitoring and financial management of the works. The inspection report however revealed his negligence and dereliction of duty, lack of supervision,” it stated.
