Disbursement of funds under the ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ will be scrutinized and made public

Bhubaneswar:17/7/24: Disbursement of funds under the ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ scheme of the previous BJD government will be probed, Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Naik said on Wednesday.

‘Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha’ was not an actual scheme but was operating on an ad-hoc basis, with work orders being issued under the names of junior engineers (JEs), said Naik.

“The department was in the dark about who was carrying out the work and to what extent it had been completed. The secretary of the department was uninformed, and the irregularities within the department will be investigated,” stated Naik.

He added that the scheme was under the supervision of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and block officials, yet no one was held accountable. Currently, all activities under this scheme have been halted.

“The entire operation was overseen from the top level. Work orders were issued under the names of JEs, and the scheme was managed without proper oversight. All discrepancies within the department will be scrutinized and made public,” affirmed Naik.

It is important to note that the BJP had contested the ‘Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha’ initiative of the former BJD government, which was launched in October 2023.

The initiative faced controversy because it did not incorporate the recommendations of elected representatives for panchayat projects, fund allocation, and usage. Allegedly, work orders were issued under the names of JEs, with lists prepared by the Block Development Officers (BDOs) and forwarded to district Collectors. The officials were tasked with allocating Rs 50 lakh for panchayat projects.