Odisha orders premature retirement of 3 officers

The Odisha government on Thursday ordered premature retirement of three officers after finding them involved in corrupt practice, official sources said here.

With this three, the total number of officers who were prematurely retired since August rose to 45.

The three are Odisha Forest Service officer Sudhanshu Sekhar Mishra, Executive Engineer Prana Krushna Prasad and Deputy Executive Engineer Umesh Tripathy, the sources said.

Mishra, who was Divisional Forest Officer of Athagarh, was suspended following his arrest in 2016 after the vigilance department found assets worth more than Rs 5.5 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The sleuths had detected Rs 1 crore from Mishra's house, which is said to be the highest recovery of cash from any government servant in Odisha, the official said.

Prana Krushna Prasad, Executive Engineer posted at Angul Rural Works Quality Control Division, was caught by vigilance taking bribe twice - in 2015 and 2018, the official said.

Umesh Tripathy, deputy executive engineer of Tusra Works department, was involved in four vigilance cases during his service in Koraput.

Earlier on October 4, the state government had ordered premature retirement to four officials and dismissed a Odisha Administrative Service officer after corruption charges were proved against them.