A govt officer in Odisha found to have acquired 84 acre of land

An Odisha government officer was found to have acquired 84 acres of land—the largest landholding ever unearthed by the State Vigilance Department —along with other high-valued movable and immovable assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

When Vigilance (anti-corruption) sleuths on Monday (June 30, 2025) conducted searches at eight locations of Dayanidhi Bagh, former Project Director of Watershed, Rayagada, and now a Joint Director in State’s Soil Conservation and Watershed Development office, the amount properties left them dazed.

They came across one farmhouse spread over 40 acres of land at Bijraguda in Nabarangpur district with drip irrigation facility and farm equipment and agricultural materials with investment of approximately ₹1 crore.

Another farmhouse spread over 6 acres at Phatakote, Nabarangpur with drip irrigation facility. The premise have concrete house. The investment was estimated at ₹46,12,665. Further 27 acres of land belonging to him was found in Nabarangpur district. Moreover, Mr. Bagh was also found to have acquired 11 acres of land on the outskirts of Bhawanipatna town. Vigilance department said registration of land during purchase was undervalued.

The long list of immoveable properties does end here. Three one bedroom flat with area of 1450 sq ft was traced from the officer at Gothapatana in Bhubaneswar and one building was located at Housing Board Colony, a prime locality of capital city.

Mr. Bagh is constructing one building with area 3000 sq ft at Padalguda near Majhiguda Chhaka in Nabarangpur town and he also has one shopping complex comprising five shops with area 1400 Sqft in near Nabarangpur town.

“We are carrying out measurement and valuation of land and buildings of the officer,” said Y. Jethwa, Director of Vigilance Directorate.

Apart from land and buildings, the officer also possessed bank deposit worth ₹58.41 lakh, gold ornaments weighting 312 gm and one four wheeler in name another persons.