Latest news with #BhubaneswarMunicipalCorporation
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- New Indian Express
BMC engineer held for amassing assets 148% above income; antlers, firearm seized during raids
BHUBANESWAR: The Vigilance on Thursday arrested the executive engineer of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on charges of possessing disproportionate assets to the tune of 148 per cent of his known sources of income. The accused Jagannath Pattnaik has also been booked under provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for illegal possession of a pair of antlers. The anti-corruption agency unearthed over Rs 3 crore worth assets in Pattnaik's and his family members' name during raids carried out at four places on Wednesday. The assets include a three-storey building and two high-value plots in Bhubaneswar's Badagada area, one plot in Khandagiri and two double-storey buildings in Gunupur. The teams also detected Pattnaik's farmhouse, spread over 1.57 acre land, at Ranapur Mouza in Balianta, while his bank/insurance deposits and investments in mutual funds were found to be over Rs 80.35 lakh. The assets also included gold ornaments weighing 460 gm, cash and household articles worth around Rs 7 lakh and one car. Apart from these, he was also found possessing a pair of antlers and a countrymade gun. Pattnaik began his career as a junior engineer with Gunupur NAC in November 1992. He joined the BMC as an assistant engineer in 2011, was promoted to assistant executive engineer in 2016, and became an executive engineer in 2024. He has around five years of service remaining, according to officials.
Hans India
16 hours ago
- Hans India
BMC engineer in vigilance net
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Executive Engineer Jagannath Pattnaik for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Vigilance sources said searches conducted on Pattnaik's properties revealed disproportionate assets, including three multi-storeyed buildings (one in Bhubaneswar and two in Gunupur), one farmhouse, three high value plots in Bhubaneswar, 460 grams of gold and bank deposits exceeding Rs 80 lakh. Additionally, a pair of antlers and a country-made gun were recovered during the raid. Pattnaik failed to provide satisfactory explanations for their possession. Apart from the Vigilance case, another case was registered against Pattnaik under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, sections 9, 49 and 51 in Balipatna forest range under Khurda wildlife division for illegal possession of antlers.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
BMC engr arrested for possessing disproportionate assets
1 2 Bhubaneswar: Jagannath Pattnaik, an executive engineer with Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), was arrested by Odisha vigilance for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Pattnaik was presented before the court of special judge (vigilance) in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The arrest followed an extensive investigation by the Bhubaneswar vigilance police, which registered a case against Pattnaik. During searches of his properties, authorities uncovered a staggering array of assets, including three multi-storeyed buildings — one located in Bhubaneswar and two in Gunpur, Rayagard. Additionally, Pattnaik owns a farmhouse, three high-value plots in Bhubaneswar, 460gm of gold and deposits exceeding Rs 80 lakh. The investigation also revealed a four-wheeler, a pair of antler horns and a country-made gun, all of which Pattnaik failed to account for satisfactorily. Pattnaik faces another case under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for the illegal possession of antler horns. This case was registered in Balipatna forest range under Khurda wildlife division. Odisha vigilance stated that the investigation is still underway, as they continue to unearth the full extent of Pattnaik's assets and any potential connections to other illegal activities.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
2nd IAS reshuffle in 3 days
Bhubaneswar: The state govt on Thursday effected another reshuffle of IAS officers, second in three days, making minor changes at the secretary level and appointing nine young IAS officers as sub-collectors on completion of their training. Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, who was previously commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation with additional charge of secretary of co-operation department was given full-time charge as secretary of co-operation department. Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, director, Odia Language, Literature and Culture with additional charge of director, Odisha Paribar, will remain in charge of the secretary, Odia language, literature & culture department. Samarth Verma, director, technical education & training, Odisha, Cuttack with additional charge of managing director, Odisha Film Development Corporation was appointed as director, minor minerals, Bhubaneswar. Deepankar Mohapatra, former director of sports with additional charge of chief executive officer, Hockey Promotion Council was given full time charge as CEO, Hockey Promotion Council, Odisha. Nine IAS officers of 2023 batch were appointed sub-collectors at different places.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
10,000 traders yet to get trade licence in city
1 2 Bhubaneswar: At least 10,000 traders in the city do not have trade licence, resulting in huge revenue loss for the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), officials said. While identifying the trades and traders is a dynamic process, the BMC is yet to evolve a scientific approach to enrol new traders. As per the standard practice, new traders volunteer to register for a trade licence certificate. If they don't take part in the process, they evade paying trade licence fees until they are caught during raids, officials said. Ajay Mohanty, BMC deputy commissioner (revenue), said the database of holding tax can be used to identify traders because holding tax is also collected from business establishments. "There are thousands of traders outside the trade licence ambit. New traders come, and old ones shut down business. Direct survey is not possible. We have an online registration system whereby traders self-declare about the nature of their business. There are different slabs of tariffs for different trades," Mohanty said. If there are around 50,000 traders in Bhubaneswar, the civic body is receiving trade licence fees from around 40,000. Five years ago, about 50% of traders had the licence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Obtaining a trade licence is mandatory to run a business under BMC's jurisdiction, officials said. "There are two ways to get evasive traders under the licence ambit. We have formed four teams that will conduct raids. If traders are found without a licence, they will be penalised, and the trade licence fee will also be collected," Mohanty added. Earlier, BMC tried to fetch traders' data from the power distribution company through the list of consumers. Out of them, it filtered the traders and segregated the data. Still many were left out. "BMC has the power to issue trade licence certificates and give permission to traders to run businesses under its jurisdiction under sections 554 and 617 of the Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, 2003," Mohanty said. BMC has asked its officers to carry out regular checks to bring all the traders under its purview and make them pay the trade licence fees online. Prior to 2020, BMC had a database of only 13,000 traders, as many new traders were not identified, resulting in the civic body losing revenue. In Feb 2021, BMC signed a pact with a private agency to conduct a survey to bring left-out traders under the trade licence ambit but the move did not work out.
