Heads roll over pulses scam

Shared by Dr Bikash Meher
Tathya.in, Bhubaneswar:5/February/2011
Kelu Charan Swain quietly sneaked into CMO around 1 PM on 5 February and handed over a sealed envelope to the officials of the Chief Minister.

Not even an eyebrow was raised over the normal movement of the Private Secretary of the Minister Women & Child Development, Pramila Mallick.

However after that CMO was humming with activities and Corridor of Power was buzzing with the information that Minister W& CD has resigned.

In fact the envelope was containing a heavily loaded letter with a Single Line sentence “I tender my resignation on moral grounds”.

Mrs. Mallik has resigned over the scandalous supply of pulses to the schools and anaganwadi centres that rocked the Naveen Patnaik Government.

Later Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, revealed to the Media that “Minister Pramila Mallik has submitted her resignation to me. I have forwarded it to the Governor for acceptance.”

Earlier in the morning Mrs.Mallick went to meet the Chief Minister at Naveen Niwas trying to clarify her stand.

However Chief Minister Mr.Patnaik was in no mood to accept her clarifications as he was convinced that the Minister has rejected the official proposal of the Department of Women & Child Development (DOWCD)  to go for tender twice during 2006 and 2007 after Supreme Courts’ order.

Secondly sources said that “While the Minister has decentralized the purchase of pulses for MDM and SNP, payments were made on a centralized mode”.

Allotment of funds were being controlled in the State Secretariat alleged a senior BJD Lawmaker.

This issue has already been brought to the notice of the Chief Minister, said he.

On the issue of resignation later Mrs. Mallik said she resigned on moral grounds.

“I was waiting for the Vigilance Report. The Report has clearly said that I was not involved,” she said.

"But I decided to resign because the opposition parties have been targeting the Government and the Chief Minister over the issue," she said.

The alleged scam came to light after Debasis Nayak and Kalapatrau Das senior BJD Lawmakers brought it to the attention of the Chief Minister.

The State Vigilance Directorate on 19-20 January raided offices in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Jajpur and Ganjam last month and claimed that there were serious irregularities in the supply of pulses to children under MDM and SNP.

Anup Kumar Patnaik, Director General Vigilance after submitted the report, Chief Secretary studied the report in details.

The anti-corruption sleuths, while giving a ‘clean chit’ to the DOWCD, has come down heavily on the Collectors and Ex-Collectors.

Acting upon the report, Chief Minister Mr.Patnaik has asked the Chief Secretary to take legal action against the NRHM Director P K Mehrada and Ambika Prasad Mishra, both IAS officers.

Dr.Mehrada, a 1997 batch IAS officer was Collector in Mayurbhanj and Mr.Mishra, a1995 batch IAS was Collector in Deogarh, when irregularities took place over purchase of dal, said a top cop in State Vigilance.

Mr.Mishra, recently been promoted to Commissioner-cum-Secretary rank is likely to suffer for rest of his service career, feel Babudom Watchers.

Vigilance sleuths found serious irregularities in purchase of pulses in Balasore district and have recommended action against the present Collector Manish Kumar Verma.

2000 batch IAS officer, Mr.Verma will be shifted from Balasore and posted in the State Secretariat, said sources.

Though the Vigilance Directorate has not registered any case as yet it is likely to file cases against the erring officials and suppliers of substandard pulses to the schools and anganwadis.