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OPHC engineer in vigilance net

BHUBANESWAR: An engineer, who joined service at Rs. 900 per month on ad hoc basis, was found to have amassed approximately Rs. 50 lakhs, which was detected by vigilance sleuths on Saturday.

On receiving allegation of possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, vigilance sleuths raided houses of Gourahari Pradhan, joint manager-cum-assistant executive engineer of Orissa Police Housing Corporation (OPHC), Bhawanipatna and came out with a long list of property list.

Mr. Pradhan had owned houses in the heart of capital city and Puri. Several other deposits belonging to the OPHC engineer were found when anti-corruption wing raided his parental house at Cuttack and father-in-law’s house at Puri.

“The total asset so far detected are valued at Rs.49,50,150 approximately. The search is continuing,” vigilance department sources said.

Eyebrows were raised over the volume of property amassed by Mr. Pradhan because he entered into government service in 1988 as junior engineer in OPHC on consolidated pay of Rs.900 per month.

“His post was regularised only in 1994. Mr. Pradhan was promoted to the present position in the year 2007,” vigilance department said.

During house search immovable assets like one double-storied building at Baliapanda in Puri, and one building at Gajapati Nagar in Bhubaneswar worth of Rs.23,25,000 were found, the department said.

The market price of buildings was much more than the assessment made by vigilance sleuths.

Besides, movable assets like costly house hold articles, one car, two scooters and gold ornaments worth of Rs.10,00,000 were found from the houses.

Similarly, deposits in different banks amounting to Rs.16,19,650 were also detected during the search.

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