Forest range officer, guard suspended for allegedly taking bribes from kin of deceased kendu leaf pluckers

MALKANGIRI: DFO, Jeypore Kendu Leaf Division Prafulla Mandal on Friday suspended Balimela range officer Durga Prasad Nayak for negligence of duty and Kudmulgumma section in-charge guard Padmini Pattnaik for allegedly taking bribes from the next of kin of deceased kendu leaf pluckers for sanction of government’s financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh.

Sources said, after complaints were received that Pattnaik was collecting Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000 from each deceased tribal family of kendu leaf plucker for sanction of government assistance, Nayak was directed to probe the matter. But Nayak could not complete the probe and was suspended for negligence of duty, said Mandal, adding a social activist Sarat Chandra Buruda had informed him of the issue.

Mandal said Pattnaik was suspended basing on evidence of her involvement in collecting bribes from the deceased kendu leaf pluckers’ next of kin. Two senior range officers of Nabarangpur kendu leaf department have been asked to further probe the incident.