BHUBANESWAR: The Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) has gone without a political head for nearly three months despite the added focus by Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on development of the region.
At present, a bureaucrat holds additional charge of the post which has given rise to strong resentment. Sources in the ruling BJD, however, said it is only a temporary measure and a political head will be appointed eventually to the post.
It was on June 18 that former Speaker of the Odisha Assembly Kishore Mohanty laid down the office after completing the five-year term. Even though the Chief Minister appointed former minister Pushpendra Singhdeo as a member of the WODC, there is no movement as yet for filling up the vacancy at the top for an organisation which has an annual budget of Rs 100 crore.
Sources maintained that there is no possibility of appointment of WODC chairperson for next two to three months as such an announcement may have repercussions in the by-poll to Bijepur Assembly seat which is yet to be scheduled by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Chief Minister vacated the seat by retaining Hinjili and announcement of the chairperson from among the existing Western Odisha BJD leaders now may create problems for the ruling party.
Along with the delay in announcement of the WODC chief, the issue of headquarters of the Council which is functioning from the Capital city remains unresolved.
While section 3(4) of the Western Odisha Development Council Act, 2000 says that the headquarters should be in the council area, the State Government has glossed over its implementation by deciding not to stir the hornet’s nest.
Meanwhile, the Government put development commissioner Suresh Mohapatra in additional charge of Chairperson of WODC on July 25 till further orders. The decision has fuelled strong resentment among the Western Odisha leaders of the BJD though none of them has so opposed openly.
Bargarh, Balangir, Boudh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Sundargarh and parts of Angul district comprise the WODC.