Odisha engineers arrested for Rs 42 lakh MGNREGA fraud

The Odisha Vigilance Department arrested Assistant Engineer Prashant Kumar Patra and Junior Engineer Prafulla Kumar Behera of Kotagarh block in Kandhamal district after investigations uncovered alleged embezzlement of more than Rs 42 lakh from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The officials are accused of generating fake bills for non‑existent pond excavation and road‑construction projects in Dharakote gram panchayat, covering the fiscal years 2022‑23 to 2025‑26.

The probe followed multiple public complaints and field inspections by the district chief development officer. Prior to the arrests, the district administration suspended Panchayat Executive Officer Sutanya Mahakud and Block Assistant Development Officer Kanshiram Digal. Vigilance DSP Hemanta Kumar Mohanty confirmed the arrests and stated that the fabricated documents facilitated the misappropriation of funds.

The case highlights ongoing concerns about financial irregularities in the implementation of MGNREGA in the state of Odisha.