Jharsuguda, Aug 31: Former Executive Officer Madhusmita Singh has been suspended following allegations of financial irregularities during her tenure at Belpahad Municipality in the 2024–25 fiscal year. The suspension order was issued on Saturday by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.

Singh, who was serving as the Tahsildar of Jamda in Mayurbhanj district, has now been reassigned to the office of the Sub-Collector in Rairangpur. She is barred from leaving the district headquarters without prior approval from the Mayurbhanj Collector.

The irregularities reportedly occurred during development projects, where government grants were allegedly diverted to unauthorized schemes without departmental approval. Several unapproved projects were also executed, raising serious concerns about procedural violations.

The current Executive Officer lodged a formal complaint at Belpahad police station, naming two municipal employees. Accountant Bibhuti Sahu has been arrested and produced in court, while another employee, a sanitation expert, remains absconding.

Following intervention by the district Collector, the matter was escalated to the state government, prompting an independent audit of Belpahad Municipality’s finances. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has taken charge of the investigation.

Authorities are now probing deeper into the case to identify others potentially involved in the misappropriation of public funds. The audit and investigation are ongoing, and further action is expected based on the findings.

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