Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has transferred IAS officer and Sundergarh Collector Rashmita Panda reportedly for spending Rs 70 lakh for renovation of her residential quarters in Rourkela in a span of six months.
She was shifted to Odisha Skill Development Authority as Chief Executive Officer and Employment Director on Saturday.
The 2010-batch officer made the headlines recently for spending a staggering Rs 70 lakh of Government funds on renovation of her residential quarter when she was the Vice-Chairperson of Rourkela Development Authority (RDA) and CEO of the Rourkela Smart City Authority with construction of additional bedroom costing Rs 4,34,861.
Several civil societies and RTI activists had been demanding action against the young bureaucrat for spending the whooping amount without floating tender.
The matter came to light last week after details of the renovation work and the expenditure incurred were brought in public domain in an RTI reply by the RDA to an application filed by RTI activist Rasmi Ranjan Parida.
A total of Rs 68,57,950.42 was spent for renovation work of the Quarters No 4R/1 at Uditnagar in six months without any open tender.
As per the RTI reply, Rs 4,05,002.07 was spent for construction of additional dining room cost, Rs 4,42,423 for repair, renovation and height of boundary wall, Rs 3,94,275.42 for structural works for repair and renovation of boundary wall, Rs 4,00,506 for construction of guard room and toilet at quarter, Rs 3,80,693 for repair and renovation of the quarters, Rs 3,85,607 for construction of courtyard and additional toilet for bed room, Rs 4,34,861 for construction of additional bed room, Rs 4,23,866.14 for construction of residence office and borewell, Rs 4,44,783 for construction of drain and portico, Rs 4,97,222 for external electrification, and 4,91,100 for Internal electrification, Rs 4,40,951 for fabrication work, Rs 4,39,029 for repair and renovation of toilet and water supply, Rs 4,04,471 for fixing of mosquito net, Rs 4,27,711 for fixing of Aluminum sliding window and industrial tiles and Rs 4,45,459 for plastic emulsion paint and back site guard room.
“Those serving in highest level should be sensitive and particular so far as the spending Government money is concerned. The cost of a new flat in a posh locality in capital city of Bhubaneswar may not be even Rs 70 lakh. But an IAS officer spent a whooping Rs 70 lakh for renovation work. Thus it’s really baffling,” said RTI activist Pradip Pradhan.
He also demanded a thorough inquiry into the expenditure.
This apart, the State Government too transferred Dhenkanal Collector NP Kalyan as the new Collector of Sundergarh. Monisha Banerjee, currently serving as Home Department Deputy Secretary was transferred as Sonepur Collector. Senior IAS officer Rajesh Prabhakar Patil was posted as the Panchayati Raj Department Director (Special Project).
