JAGATSINGHPUR: Police on Monday arrested a 45-year-old trader for locking the grievance cell in Biridi block office over non-fulfilment of his demands.
The accused, Pramod Kumar Jena of Manitiri village, had a variety store at Alando market which was demolished for encroaching government land three years back.
Sources said Jena had approached the local administration seeking allotment of a land to resume his business. The administration allocated space to local vendors but Jena was reportedly left out.
Facing financial hardship, the trader sought the administration’s help again following which he was allotted land at a different location to set up his shop. However, he could not use it due to opposition from locals.
Frustrated, Jena disrupted the joint grievance hearing at Biridi block office and locked the cell on the day. He also sat on dharna demanding closure of the grievance cell. The block development officer (BDO) of Biridi then filed an FIR against the Jena basing on which police removed the trader from the block office premises and took him into custody.
Alando sarpanch Santosh Sethi said two years back, the panchayat had issued notice for interested vendors to apply for rooms in a market complex. But Jena neither applied nor participated in the auction, which led to his exclusion.
Biridi IIC Sabyasachi Rout said basing on the BDO’s complaint, a case was registered against Jena. He will be produced in court.