Nityanand Nayak, Divisional Forest Officer of Keonjhar Kendu Leaf Division, now holds a dubious national record: 115 homestead plots found in his name and those of his close family members. The raids, carried out by Odisha’s Vigilance Department on Sunday, uncovered land assets that far exceed those held by any government official in a disproportionate assets case.
The previous record, ironically, was also set in Keonjhar by Pravas Kumar Pradhan in August 2024, who was found with 105 plots. Nayak’s new “achievement” even includes a four-storey, 9,000 sq ft luxury building, luxury cars, traditional hunting weapons, and teak artefacts.
Raids, Records, and a Mini-Armoury
The state Vigilance team conducted simultaneous raids at seven locations, including Nayak’s parental home in Angul, government quarters in Keonjhar, and his son’s residence in Nayagarh. In total, 115 plots were unearthed, 53 in Nayak’s name, 42 in his wife’s, 16 in his sons’, and four in his daughter’s.
Among other seized items were a rifle, traditional weapons, ₹1.55 lakh in cash, 200 grams of gold, teakwood valuables, and multiple vehicles. Officials estimate that the registered sale deed value of the plots was around ₹2.5 crore, but believe the true worth exceeds ₹10 crore due to massive undervaluation during registration.
A Career in Service, a Fortune in Secrecy
Nayak began his government service in 1992 as a forest ranger. Over the next three decades, he rose through the ranks, serving as Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Deputy Conservator (DCF), and eventually DFO in 2024.
Investigators revealed that 64 plots were acquired during his posting in Khariar between 2007 and 2015, while another 39 were purchased during his tenure in Khariar and Rayagada as ACF between 2015 and 2022. All properties were found to be concentrated in Angul’s Chhendipada region.
Humble Salary, Lavish Assets — A Familiar Pattern
Despite being a Group A officer with a middle-class government salary, Nayak managed to accumulate land and luxury well beyond his legal income. The wealth discovered, spread across real estate, vehicles, and valuables, paints a stark contrast to his modest pay scale.
Tech professionals earning ₹30 LPA can’t afford a single plot without loans, one social media user quipped, while Nayak “afforded 115 plots” on a fraction of that income. His case exemplifies the systemic rot in public service financial accountability, a legacy of “deshbhakti aur seva” gone rogue.