Odisha Vigilance arrests former PACS Secretary for paddy fund fraud

Odisha Vigilance has arrested Sanoj Kumar Mishra, the former Secretary of the Tusura Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) Ltd., for the alleged misappropriation of approximately Rs 42.31 lakh in government paddy procurement funds.

The arrest follows an investigation into financial irregularities occurring during the 2014–15 Kharif Marketing Season. Mishra was responsible for procuring paddy from local farmers and coordinating its delivery to designated rice mills. Investigators found that a significant amount of paddy purchased with government funds was never delivered to the mills and was not recorded in the society’s stock records.

This fraudulent accounting led to a direct financial loss of Rs 42,31,608 to the society. Mishra has been forwarded to the Court of the Special Judge, Vigilance, in Balangir. He faces charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 409 of the IPC. The investigation remains ongoing.