Dismissed' IAS officer Vinod Kumar convicted for 10th time

The Bhubaneswar Special Judge Vigilance court on Tuesday convicted former Odisha cadre IAS officer Vinod Kumar besides two others on corruption charges and sentenced them to undergo 3-year rigorous imprisonment.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi revealed that more than two decades ago that he too was a victim of fake ponzi schemes twice. The recovery process was cumbersome in those days and I failed to get my money back, he said while highlighting the changes that have strengthened consumer protection to meet the challenges of cybercrime and the ease with which people fall prey to fraudulent schemes on social media.

Speaking at a National Consumer Day function, the Chief Minister recounted his personal losses to fraudulent firms in 1990 and 2002. "Back then, I was cheated by both a government and a private company. I arranged and deposited money, only to find that the companies had vanished," he said. The recovery process at the time was arduous, and he was unable to reclaim his funds. However, he noted that consumer protection laws have significantly improved since amendments in 2019, making the recovery process simpler.

"Earlier, these ponzi firms operated differently. Now, fraudsters leverage social media, targeting people with fake offers, OTP requests, and phishing scams." He urged for an intensified consumer protection campaign and active participation from the public and media.

He assured that the state government is committed to ensuring consumer safety. "A Consumer Protection Authority has been formed to investigate violations and provide justice. Consumers can now file complaints digitally from their homes through e-filing," he said. The theme of this year's National Consumer Day is Digital Hearing & Digital Access to Consumer Justice.

The Chief Minister emphasized that consumer safety awareness is now a growing social movement. "Thanks to the government's consistent efforts, the youth are increasingly aware of consumer rights," he added.