Odisha Vigilance Nabs Former Tusura PACS Secretary in Rs 42.31 Lakh Paddy Funds Scam

Odisha Vigilance has arrested Sanoj Kumar Mishra, the former Secretary of Tusura Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) Ltd. under Gudvela Block in Balangir district, for misappropriating ₹42.31 lakh in government paddy funds during KMS 2014-15. He was produced before the Court of Special Judge, Vigilance, Balangir.The arrest stems from a detailed probe into systemic fraud during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2014–15. As Secretary of Tusura PACS, Mishra was entrusted with procuring paddy from local farmers using government funds and ensuring its prompt delivery to designated rice millers for custom milling.Investigations, however, uncovered a shocking discrepancy: a large quantity of the procured paddy was neither delivered to the tagged millers nor properly recorded in the society’s stock registers. This physical non-delivery, combined with fraudulent accounting, led to the illegal diversion of funds and caused a direct financial loss of Rs 42,31,608 to the society.Sambalpur Vigilance Police Station has registered Case No. 12 dated 16.08.2026 against Mishra under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities dig deeper into the irregularities.