Odisha anganwadi worker owns property worth ₹4 crore; arrested

Officials said Kabita Mathan was found to own a four-storey building, a triple-storey building, and two double-storey buildings in Bhubaneswar, 14 plots of land, a four-wheeler, three two-wheelers, insurance deposits over ₹2.2 lakh, and gold ornaments worth ₹6.36 lakh

Published on: Sep 15, 2021, 15:36:56 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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An anganwadi worker in Bhubaneswar was arrested this morning a day after she was found to have allegedly amassed properties worth over ₹4 crore, including 4 buildings, more than a dozen plots, state’s anti corruption sleuths said.

Officials said Kabita Mathan, a worker in anganwadi centre in Koradakanta area, was found to own a four-storey building, a triple-storey building, and two double-storey buildings in Bhubaneswar, 14 plots of land, a four-wheeler, three two-wheelers, insurance deposits over ₹2.2 lakh, and gold ornaments worth ₹6.36 lakh.

The woman lived in an asbestos-roofed house near a fish market in the city with her father and husband. Most of the properties were acquired in the name of her in-laws and she drew a monthly salary of ₹7,500.

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Mathan has claimed that she acquired most of the assets by doing different jobs, including selling pakoras and giving tuitions.

In July this year, anti-corruption sleuths of Odisha found assets worth over ₹3.79 crore, including 1.5 kg gold, from the house of a class-3 employee of Odisha Staff Selection Commission. Biranchi Narayan Sahoo, 58, private secretary to member of Odisha Staff Selection Commission Jagannath Lenka, was later given compulsory retirement.

As per the NCRB 2017 figures, Odisha recorded the second highest number of cases relating to corruption in government offices after Maharashtra.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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