Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi is in the eye of a storm following a CBI raid at his residence on Tuesday following which there has been intense speculation about his resignation from service.
There was high drama at his official residence in the state capital on Tuesday as Sethi engaged in an argument with CBI officers accusing them of conducting the raids without any warrant and without any lady member in their team at a time when his wife was present in the house.
Sethi, currently posted as an officer on special duty (OSD) in the General Administration and Public Grievance department, had found himself embroiled in a controversy in December last when the central agency served him a notice after arresting group general manager of Bridge and Roof (Company) Ltd for allegedly taking a Rs 10 lakh bribe from the director of a Bhubaneswar-based company.
Sethi had pleaded innocence and said he was not even named in the FIR and might resign from his service. The IAS officer said he belongs to the Dalit community and always performed his duties honestly. Soon after a handwritten resignation letter addressed to the state chief secretary surfaced on social media. The letter said Sethi was tendering resignation because he felt the investigation was targeting him. It also mentioned that the 1995 batch officer was denied promotion to the additional chief secretary rank by the state government.
“I have been a proud member of Indian Administrative Service of 1995 batch and demonstrated my sincerity and honesty in my long career of 30 years. Today, CBI officers entered my house and are carrying out searches at various places including where my daughter was studying. I have lost all name and fame earned so far,” read the purported resignation letter.
Sethi, the former principal secretary of the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare department, had come under CBI scanner over the bribery scandal. “Bridge and Roof has been working for the government since the last 10 years but I have no links with the company. The CBI’s FIR does not even have my name but the officers are carrying out searches in my residence,” the officer told the mediapersons.
He alleged his wife was in the house when the central agency carried out searches in absence of a lady officer. A CBI officer could be heard saying that from their entry to exit in his residence everything was being videographed and will be submitted in the court.
Sethi is no stranger to controversies. The 1995-batch officer’s first brush with controversy was in March 2012 when state vigilance registered a case against him in connection with alleged irregularities in the procurement of poultry feed while he was director of veterinary services and animal husbandry.
The allegations centred on the procurement of maize-based poultry feed following the 2006 bird flu scare in India. Questions were raised about the legitimacy of the selection and distribution of subsidised maize. However, Sethi was later exonerated of these charges.In 2021, Sethi faced fresh allegations when an RTI campaigner approached Odisha Lokayukta regarding irregularities in the procurement of milk packaging materials. This occurred during his tenure as managing director of Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (OMFED) in 2015.
The allegations suggested that poly-film pouches were obtained without following proper tendering, reportedly causing OMFED a loss of Rs 6.35 crore between Aug 2015 and June 2016. However, in Feb 2021, the Lokayukta cleared Sethi of the charges, stating his decisions had benefited consumers, farmers and OMFED.
Another case emerged in July 2019 when an RTI activist filed a complaint with the Lokayukta, alleging that Sethi improperly claimed medical reimbursements of Rs 3.27 lakh from Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) during his management tenure from 2013 to 2015.
The complainant specifically highlighted a Rs 1.5 lakh reimbursement request and additional claims totalling Rs 9,46,273, allegedly made without proper board approval. In July 2021, the Lokayukta again dismissed these allegations, finding no merit in the RTI activist’s claims. The order noted that “despite the finding of the director of inquiry going in his favour, Sethi as a goodwill gesture returned the entire amount of Rs 3.27 lakh in three cheques to the OSCB.”
In June 2023, the previous BJD government had transferred Bishnupada Sethi as secretary of higher education department. He was then posted as an officer on special duty (OSD) of the general administration department.
