Kendrapara: The misuse of funds earmarked for raising green cover along the highway side land has sparked off a controversy.

With no physical trace of standing trees, the district administration has launched a probe into the alleged fund bungling.

The standing trees dating back to the Raj were chopped off for the road widening project of the Cuttack-Chandballi state highway. To compensate the loss of green cover, a plantation drive had been undertaken from the World Bank-funded highway project.

However, the plantation drive undertaken under stewardship of the Odisha Forest Development Corporation came a cropper as it was allegedly marred by large-scale fund bungling.

"The authorities claimed to have planted 2,000 coconut saplings along the highway passing through Rajkanika block. But, the planted saplings were nowhere to be found. The embezzlement of public money forced us to resort to agitation. We staged month-long peaceful picketing. Our perseverance has paid dividends with the district administration launching an inquiry into the scam," said a civil society member, Srikant Das.

"The fund bungling is crystal clear. The plantation was done on paper and the money was gobbled up by the concerned agencies," he said.

"There has been brazen misuse of funds. It needs no sting operation to see how the money has gone down the drains. The unscrupulous officials have gobbled up the funds," said another activist, Kali Prasad Nayak.

Taking note of the public complaint, the Kendrapara (roads and building division) executive engineer is looking into the allega-tion.

"If the inquiry finds veracity in the allegations, the matter will be handed over to anti-corruption vigilance of state police for a thorough probe," said Kendrapara collector Reghu. G.