BHUBANESWAR: As the Opposition sharpens its weapons to attack the ruling BJD in the Budget session of the Assembly beginning from February 6, it has got an issue in the form of murder of a farmer in Niali.
Demanding a high level probe into the incident, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Monday gave an ultimatum to the State Government to arrest the main accused within 15 days.
Stating that the ruling party politicians are behind the murder of farmer Krupasindhu Sahu who wanted to know about a scheme under Agriculture department through RTI, OPCC president Prasad Harichandan said he was silenced to cover up the large-scale corruption in its implementation.
Harichandan said the scheme ‘Dhadirua’ was being implemented in 725 acres of land in Krushnaprasad panchayat under Niali Assembly constituency by a non-Government organisation (NGO). The Congress leader said around 40 RTI activists across the State have been attacked for asking uncomfortable questions on implementation of different Government-sponsored schemes.
The issue will be raised in the Assembly by the party in the ensuing session, he said.
Though police have arrested three persons in connection with the murder, the main accused is still at large. Harichandan alleged that local police are also hand-in-glove with those behind the incident to suppress the murder.
The Congress leader said Krupasindhu was kidnapped on January 26 and the matter was reported to the police the same night.
However, police reacted after three days by which time he was already killed. Had police acted in time, the life of the farmer could have been saved, Harichandan claimed.
The Congress, which has planned a massive rally of farmers in front of the Assembly on February 12, will follow it up with protest dharna from February 18, he added.