BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Tuesday demanded strong action against BJP legislator from Deogarh Subash Panigrahy for the alleged irregularities in the use of funds from his MLA LAD fund.
Addressing a media conference here, Deogarh district BJD president Romancha Ranjan Biswal, district observer Amaresh Jena and spokesperson Goutam Buddha Das alleged that Panigrahy had released Rs 3 lakh from his MLA LAD fund for the construction of the boundary wall of the local women’s college.
However, the BJD leaders alleged that the fund was used for the construction of a boundary wall in the house of Soubhagya Patra of Bukabeda village which is very close to him. They stated that Patra is a teacher in the government primary school at Jhaliamara village of Tileibani block of the district. But, he mainly works as a BJP worker. They alleged that in the 2019 election, Patra was caught with Rs 3 lakh in a BJP campaign vehicle. Though Patra was detained by police, the MLA had reached the police station and demanded his release.
Alleging that the MLA is a habitual lawbreaker, the BJD leaders alleged that he was arrested two years back for beating up the block development officer of Tileibani.
However, countering the allegations, the BJP said that the BJD is levelling imaginary allegations against the MLA because he demanded a CBI probe into the Naba Das murder case. He said that the BJD is in power in the state and can investigate the irregularities.
“Let them do that. But demanding a probe in a press conference is only drama,” he stated.