Jajpur: The Korei block administration has detected embezzlement of government funds to the tune of Rs 3 lakh by its panchayat executive officers.

The block's marketing inspector M. Akasmika Routray has written to the Jajpur collector in this regard to initiate action against those officers.

According to the letter, the accused had been appointed as the nodal officers of the panchayats to implement the National Food Security Act scheme in all 21 panchayats of the block about three years ago. Likewise, the gram rojgar sevaks were also appointed as the verifying officers. Anganwadi workers were entrusted with the job right from identification of beneficiaries to the completion of their selection process.

The government had decided to collect Rs 10 from each beneficiary towards remuneration of the anganwadi workers. So, the panchayat executive officers had collected the money from the beneficiaries. But, they did not deposit it to the tune of Rs 3 lakh with the authorities. The matter came to light when the anganwadi workers did not get their remuneration.

"The money collected from the beneficiaries was supposed to be deposited with the block administration to meet the remuneration of the anganwadi workers. But when they did not get it, the fund embezzlement came to the fore," said Routray.

"All those officers - 21 in total - have not deposited the money collected from the beneficiaries. I appealed all of them to deposit it whatever they had collected from the beneficiaries, But, they paid no heed to this effect," she said.

"So, I had to intimate the district collector about this and requested action against the erring officials," she said.