The entrance to the confiscated farmhouse of former IAS officer Ramesh Chandra Behera at Bhaliagada in Ganjam. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 14: The state government today turned one of the confiscated properties of a retired IAS officer, Ramesh Chandra Behera, into a nursery-cum-training centre for local farmers in Ganjam district.

The government had confiscated Behera’s farmhouse spread over 2.88 acres at Bhaliagada under Rangeilunda block in Ganjam in March. Superintendent of vigilance (Berhampur) J.N. Hansda said: “We initiated action following orders of the special vigilance court.”

This is the second instance of the confiscated property of a tainted IAS officer being turned to public use by the Naveen Patnaik government. Before retiring in 2010, Behera, who belonged to 1979 batch, was an officer without duty for nearly two-and-a-half years.

The vigilance had raided Behera’s house on May 19, 1990, following allegations that he had amassed property disproportionate to his known source of income. The raid had taken place when Behera was an additional secretary in the housing and urban development department.

However, it took nearly 21 years for the government to confiscate the properties. On Wednesday, the government took over the farmhouse and converted it into a seeds sale-cum-training centre for farmers.

Deputy director of the horticulture department Chandra Sekhar Patra said: “The land in the farmhouse is a fertile one. We have hope for a good crop.” Nearly 300 farmers today turned up to attend the opening ceremony of the centre.

The state government established the special vigilance court in 2006. Behera’s case was transferred in 2008. Later, the government filed a petition for confiscation of Behera’s properties. On March 7, the court passed for confiscation of immovable properties worth Rs 4,80,191, which includes a two-storey building, a farmhouse and 10 plots in and around Berhampur. However, the vigilance could not able to confiscate the two-storey building as Behera had already sold the properties in 2007. “It was disputed,” said Hansda.

On November 14, the government turned the confiscated house of IAS officer Sanjeev Ray into a homoeopathy dispensary. Ray, who was convicted in a disproportionate assets case, retired in 2004. The homeopathy dispensary was opened in the two-storey building at Gandamunda near Jagamara in the city. Now, the government is planning to convert the confiscate properties of IPS Kali Charan Mohapatra for public welfare purpose.

Vigilance director Dr Anup Patnaik said: “The vigilance is now after the big fish. Ninety-five cases have been registered against 40 IAS officers. Chargesheets have been filed in 32 cases against 13 IAS officers. We have moved to different confiscate properties in 27 disproportionate asset cases.

“Similarly, 11 cases have been registered against seven IPS officers, out of which, chargesheets have been placed in 10 cases against six IPS officers. On the other hand, 30 cases have been registered by the vigilance against 23 IFS officers and in nine cases, chargesheets have been filed against 10 IFS officers. Patnaik further said that this year, the state vigilance had already registered 347 cases against 66 Class–I, 66 Class-II, 265 Class-III, 11-Class-IV government employees, 64 other public servants and 113 private persons.