Bhubaneswar, Dec 31 (NationPress) The Odisha Vigilance department recorded 202 graft cases in 2025, leading to the arrest of 212 corrupt officials and private individuals involved in various corruption-related activities, according to Vigilance Director Y.K. Jethwa on Wednesday.

Out of the 202 registered cases, 49 pertained to disproportionate assets (DA), implicating 89 individuals. Additionally, 97 trap cases were filed against 114 government officials, which included 14 Class-I officers, Vigilance officials reported.

The total value of disproportionate assets discovered in the 49 DA cases was approximately Rs 120 crore. Notably, 21 DA cases involved Class-I officers, with 13 cases concerning Class-II officers.

In these cases, 36 spouses of the accused officials were also named as co-accused.

Throughout 2025, the Odisha Vigilance apprehended 53 Class-I officers, which included an IAS officer, six OAS officers, 24 engineers (among them a Chief Engineer and two Superintending Engineers), 17 forest officials, 20 revenue officials, a Joint Commissioner of the State Transport Authority, a Joint Director, 16 police personnel, and five doctors, among others.

During their operations, Vigilance teams confiscated 153 buildings, 714 plots, 12 farmhouses, 18.3 kg of gold, bank deposits totaling approximately Rs 36.69 crore, and cash amounting to Rs 8.81 crore. They conducted searches at 487 locations and froze 1,199 bank accounts. The technical valuation estimated the worth of seized properties at Rs 51.38 crore.

Addressing the media, Jethwa indicated that Odisha Vigilance achieved its highest-ever case disposal rate in 2025, reaching a disposal rate of 237 percent. The agency concluded investigations on 479 cases and filed charge sheets against 766 individuals. Out of these, 155 DA cases were fully investigated with charge sheets submitted to the courts.

The agency secured 108 convictions over the year, reflecting a conviction rate of approximately 50 percent. Following these convictions, 24 serving officials were dismissed, and pensions of 50 retired officials were halted by the relevant authorities.

Jethwa mentioned that over 22 vigilance courts are currently operational across the state. In response to inquiries, he highlighted the Engineering, Panchayati Raj, Revenue, Police, and Forest departments as the sectors most susceptible to corruption, due to their extensive workforce and operational reach.

Looking forward to 2026, the Vigilance Director announced plans to enhance their anti-corruption initiatives with increased manpower and specialized support in financial analysis, cyber investigation, and legal matters. The state government has approved additional positions, including Additional SPs, Deputy SPs, SIs, and technical experts like chartered accountants and banking professionals.

“We are committed to advancing our anti-corruption mission with renewed dedication and efficiency. With enhanced resources and expertise, we aim to elevate our performance in the upcoming year,” Jethwa concluded.