JAGATSINGHPUR: A fresh controversy surrounded the People’s Empowerment-Enabling Transparency and Accountability (PEETHA) programme over presence of BJD leaders in the camp in the district.
In order to distribute individual and social benefits, Jagatsinghpur Municipality on Wednesday conducted a PEETHA camp on Ugratara temple campus at Ward-13 where district BJD unit president and State Planning Board vice-president Bishnu Das, BJD leaders Amarendra Das and Manoj Bhoi attended the programme.
Though there is a provision that no political leaders should be involved in PEETHA camp, BJD leaders were invited to attend it.On being informed, Congress workers, led by former chairman of the civic body Biplab Chaudhury, locked the main gate of the municipality and staged demonstration protesting the presence of BJD leaders in the camp. “It is just a programme meant to promote Government schemes. The programme has become a propaganda to garner votes in rural areas,” they said.
Chaudhury also alleged that there were large-scale irregularities in distribution of LED bulbs, benefits to landless families and implementation of the Prime Minister Awas Yojana in the municipality.
Later, Jagatsinghpur police, led by SDPO Prakash Pal, rushed to the spot and pacified the irate Congress workers.
Meanwhile, Executive Officer of Jagatsinghpur Municipality Baladev Behera has issued show-cause notices to Assistant Engineer Bibhuti Bhusan Das and Data Entry Operator Sudarsan Bhoi for inviting BJD leaders to attend the PEETHA programme.
Earlier, there was a dispute over selection of best performing panchayat under the scheme in Naugaon block following presence of BJD leaders at Korua camp. Under the programme, best performing panchayat in each block gets `five lakh cash award.
Earlier, the presence of aspiring BJD candidate of Jagatsinghpur Assembly segment and other BJD leaders in PEETHA programme deprived Korua panchayat of Naugaon block of getting best panchayat award.
