Vigilance raids ORS officer set to retire in 5 months

Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: The vigilance officials on Wednesday claimed to have found huge unaccounted wealth amassed by Kulamani Patel, an Odisha Revenue Service officer, in Sundargarh district five months ahead of his retirement. These include more than 20 pieces of land, two multi-storied buildings, four residential houses, among others.
The vigilance raided various properties of Patel, 59, posted as additional tehsildar of Tangarpalli, and said it has found two multi-storey buildings, four residential houses, 21 plots, two cars, two tractors and three two wheelers linked to him.
A vigilance statement said based on a complaint against him of possessing of disproportionate assets, a 45-member team conducted simultaneous raids at his eight locations on Wednesday.
Patel has a three-storeyed residential building measuring area of 4,800 sq ft constructed recently at Lepripada tehsil in Sundargarh district, a double-storeyed residential building measuring area of 3,000 sq ft at Chitabhanga in Sundargarh town, four residential houses over ancestral land and 21 plots in prime areas of Sundargarh district.
The vigilance technical wing is carrying out detailed evaluation of above buildings and plots. His bank and insurance deposits are under verification.
Sources said the vigilance froze his 15 bank accounts. Significantly, Patel joined government service as a tehsil office clerk and got promoted to ORS and became additional tehsildar in Hemgir block in 2018. His retirement from service is due on February 2023. tnn