Odisha Vigilance on Wednesday arrested Pusha Munda, Chief Civil Supplies Officer (CCSO)-cum-District Manager of the Odisha State Civil Supply Corporation Ltd. (OSCSL), Ganjam, Chhatrapur, for allegedly carrying Rs 3 lakh in unaccounted cash.
According to Vigilance officials, the officer was intercepted on NH-16 near Science College, Chhatrapur, while travelling in his official Bolero vehicle from his rented residence toward Berhampur. The cash recovered during the interception could not be satisfactorily accounted for by Munda. Following protocol, the cash and the vehicle were immediately seized.
Further, simultaneous searches were conducted at Munda’s residences in Chhatrapur and Bhawanipatna, as well as his office chamber. The investigation unearthed significant assets, including:
- A three-storeyed building (approx. 5,000 sq. ft.) in Bhawanipatna town
- A homestead plot in Bhawanipatna
- Approximately 19 acres of land spread over 10 plots purchased in 2023
- Multiple vehicles, including a Suzuki Ciaz ZXI, two motorcycles, and one benami two-wheeler registered under a local rice miller’s name
A case under sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been registered against Munda at Berhampur Vigilance Police Station.
He is being forwarded to the Hon’ble Special Judge (Vigilance), Berhampur, as the investigation continues. The developments have sparked fresh discussions on transparency within Odisha’s civil supply apparatus.
