'5 buildings, 13 plots, mountain of cash': Govt engineer’s empire under scanner; joined ITDA with Rs 6,000 monthly salary in 1999

BHUBNESWAR: Vigilance sleuths on Saturday detected five multi-storeyed buildings, 13 high-value plots, 341gm gold, Rs 45 lakh deposits and Rs 2.04 crore in cash from the assistant executive engineer of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Baliguda, in Kandhamal district.

Sources said the properties of Baikuntha Nath Behera, 52, are likely to increase, as the anti-corruption agency continued the search for his ill-gotten properties at nine different places. During the search, they found four palatial houses in different prime locations of Bhubaneswar, while a 2,500-sq-ft double-storeyed building was detected at Pandua, Dharmasala, in Jajpur district.

Of the detected high-value plots, seven were found in Bhubaneswar, five plots in Dharmasala in Jajpur district, and one in Baripada.

The vigilance technical wing is carrying out the measurement and valuation of the detected buildings and plots, sources said. The exact value of his ill-gotten properties would be known only after estimation, sources said.



The simultaneous search was carried out by pressing into service two additional SPs, five DSPs, six inspectors and other supporting staff. Behera joined govt service on Aug 16, 1999, as junior engineer (civil) in Nabarangpur district at a monthly salary of Rs 6,000.

On Feb 12, he was promoted to the rank of assistant executive engineer and posted at ITDA, Baliguda, in Kandhamal district. He has continued there so far.