Jolt to Odisha BJP as party’s sarpanch faces suspension for graft

ROURKELA:  In a jolt to BJP months ahead of panchayat polls in Odisha, the party’s former State executive committee member and sarpanch of Laing in Rajgangpur block of Sundargarh district, Narsingh Minz was suspended by Panchayati Raj department on corruption charges recently. Minz’s suspension order was issued by the department on August 19.

The order cited a report of the Rourkela Vigilance Division and stated it appeared Minz had misappropriated Central Finance Commission funds. While the exa c t amount allegedly embezzled was not mentioned in the order, Minz has been given 30 days to explain why legal action should not be taken against him.

Sundagarh district panchayat officer BD Singh said the order was received by the district administration on Saturday but did not elaborate the further course of action. It is alleged that during 2018-19, Minz had misappropriated around `22 lakh by approving projects which were never executed after which a probe was started by the Vigilance.

In December 2019, the then Panchayat Executive Officer Alok Nayak was suspended in this connection. Minz said just after he lost the Rajgangpur Assembly seat with a lean gap of 1,022 votes, the BJD and Congress in September 2019 levelled allegations against him. Some approved projects were facing technical difficulties and to avoid return of unutilised funds, they were spent on other new projects.

The Vigilance department did not consider the expenditure on other projects though all relevant documents were seized. The sarpanch said he would submit appropriate reply to the government officially after receiving the suspension order-cum-show cause notice. State BJP spokesperson Dhiren Senapati said a proper inquiry is needed since the BJD government is out to defame BJP ahead of the rural elections. Minz was also the president of Sundargarh District Sarpanch Mahasangh.