Karanjia- 17/12: Young journalist Mr. Harekrishna Tripathi has complained to the District Magistrate about corruption in Maa Basuli Higher Secondary School located in Thakurmunda of Mayurbhanj district. On the 16th of last month, District Magistrate Mr. Hemkant Soy and District Security Officer Mr. Barun Gunthpalli demanded an inquiry into the corruption in cutting trees in Basuli Higher Secondary School at the sub-district level public grievance hearing room in Karanjia.
The forest officials of Maa Basuli Higher Secondary School were asked to cut down old acacia and eucalyptus trees on the grounds that they were posing a threat to the classrooms and snakes and other reptiles were crawling through the trees. But no measurement or operation permit was taken by the forest department. No advertisement was issued by the department for sale.
The institution had no account of how many logs and how many saplings there were and the chairman cut down and sold the trees in violation of the law. RTI data shows that the institute got a total of Rs 70,000 from 380 trees. When the contractor asked for time, he said he could not tell how much wood was sold and how much was left. Who handled the rest of the money, apart from the Rs 70,000 spent, is a matter of investigation. AN journalist Shri Tripathi sensed corruption and complained to the District Magistrate after he was informed.
Dinesh Kumar reports from Karanjia, Mayurbhanj.