Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Thursday arrested three contractors over alleged misuse of government funds worth nearly ₹3 crore. The case is linked to LED streetlight projects in three districts between 2021 and 2023.
The arrested persons are Girija Sankar Dash of Mayurbhanj, Dharanidhar Sahoo of Jajpur, and Bibhuti Ranjan Biswal of Bhubaneswar.
Officials said the accused were involved in irregularities during the execution of streetlight installation works. The projects were funded under the 5th State Finance Commission Devolution Fund.
After their arrest, all three contractors were produced before the Vigilance courts.
Vigilance has registered three separate cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC provisions. The cases are numbered 5, 6, and 7 of 2026.
Investigators said around 1,000 LED streetlight clusters across three districts are under examination. Each cluster contains multiple streetlights installed under the scheme.
Technical experts are checking the quality of the work and possible shortfalls. Officials are also verifying records and payment details related to the projects.
They are also probing whether any government officials were involved in the alleged scam.
The investigation is still on. More action may follow after the probe is completed.