Puri, Mar 16: The Puri Municipality, now functioning as a municipal corporation, has come under scrutiny for failing to implement the mandatory three-year transfer rule for its employees.

Despite service code provisions requiring transfers after three years in a single post, several officials and staff have remained in the same sections for decades, raising concerns about accountability and corruption.

Currently, the civic body employs 77 permanent and 26 temporary staff. Shockingly, records reveal that some employees have occupied the same seat for 10, 15, even 33 years.

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One senior assistant, Shubhadarshini Panda, has worked in the same section since 1999 — a span of 27 years — witnessing seven Assembly elections and six municipal elections without ever being transferred.

Similarly, Jagadish Nayak, a junior engineer in the revenue section, has served continuously since 2010, while Indira Priyadarshini Routray has remained in the audit section for 14 years.

The issue came to light during Assembly proceedings when Puri MLA Sunil Mohanty raised questions about staff transfers.

The government’s response revealed startling details: not only senior officials but even fourth-class employees have remained in one section for over three decades. For instance, Ravi Narayan Mahapatra has been in the holding tax section since 1993, while Ravindra Ojha and Hayat Khan have served in the store and vehicle sections respectively since 1995.

Audit reports have further deepened concerns. Reviews of the 2018-19 and 2020-21 financial years flagged irregularities in cash books and records. In fact, audits for 2021-22 and 2022-23 could not be completed due to missing records. Intellectuals and civic activists argue that long tenures in single posts have enabled entrenched practices and contributed to corruption within the municipality.

District officials have assured that review meetings will be conducted and necessary changes implemented.

Compiled by: Satabhisa Jena