BHUBANESWAR: Taking a cue from Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, the Orissa government on Wednesday converted the confiscated house of retired IAS officer Sanjib Kumar Ray, convicted in a disproportionate assets case, into a homeopathic dispensary in Bhubaneswar.
A vigilance court in January had convicted Ray of amassing ill-gotten assets and sentenced him to three years imprisonment. The court had also ordered police to confiscate his immovable property. The Orissa government on October 20 had taken possession of Ray’s double-storey building at Gandamunda area.
Ray, who is out on bail, has since been staying in a rented house in Bhubaneswar, sources said. He recently moved the court seeking stay order for auction of his house.
“We have set an example by turning the confiscated house of Ray into a homeopathic dispensary. The dispensary will provide free treatment to the public at large,” chief minister Naveen Patnaik said at a function of state vigilance here. Naveen said his government would a take strong stand against corrupt public servants. “The state government has decided to use the confiscated properties of corrupt officials for public purposes,” he added.
Residents of Gandamunda under Khandagiri police limit were pleasantly surprised to see a signboard flashing the “government homeopathic dispensary” at Ray’s house. Sources said government employees had worked overnight to prepare Ray’s house for the dispensary, ostensibly paving the way for Naveen to announce it at the vigilance function.
Director Indian Medicines and Homeopathy (DIMH) Mahendra Kumar Mallick said around 40 patients were treated at the new dispensary on day one. “Medicines are available free of cost. With this, we now have three homeopathic dispensaries in Bhubaneswar,” Mallick said.
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