Sambalpur, June 14, 2025: A glaring case of administrative negligence has surfaced in Sambalpur district, where former Rengali Tehsildar Nirmal Kumar Nayak, implicated in issuing a fraudulent Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate to a Kerala-born businessman and BJD leader, M.B. Pyariraj, has faced no repercussions despite a state-level inquiry committee’s directives issued over a decade ago.
RTI documents obtained by activist Bimal Bihari Pattnayak reveal that in 2005, Nayak issued an SC certificate to Pyariraj under case number 428/2005, falsely classifying him as belonging to Odisha’s “Sial” caste, an SC category. This allowed Pyariraj to access government welfare schemes and contest elections from the SC-reserved Rengali assembly seat. However, a 2014 probe by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), triggered by complaints from local resident Subash Chandra Biswal and others, exposed that Pyariraj, son of Kerala’s M.K. Balakrishna, belonged to the “Izhava” caste, listed as OBC in Kerala, confirming the certificate’s fraudulent nature.
The inquiry committee’s report flagged Nayak and his staff for questionable conduct, recommending disciplinary action under the Odisha Caste Certificate Rules, 1962, and legal proceedings under the Indian Penal Code. It also directed the filing of an FIR against Pyariraj. While an FIR was lodged, the investigation stalled, and following Pyariraj’s death on December 21, 2018, the case was reportedly closed. Astonishingly, Nayak faced no consequences despite the committee’s explicit instructions.
The RTI findings have prompted Pattnayak to file a complaint with the Sambalpur District Collector, demanding a thorough investigation and action against Nayak and other involved tehsil officials for their role in the forgery and subsequent inaction. The case has sparked renewed outrage over bureaucratic accountability, particularly when influential figures are implicated, raising questions about systemic lapses in addressing such violations.
