BHUBANESWAR: As the state grapples with floods and the government faces mounting pressure over ensuring smooth and incident-free completion of Rath Yatra rituals along with paddy procurement across districts, the mass leave and pen-down strike by OAS and ORS officers to protest the assault on additional commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Ratnakar Sahoo has pushed the administration to the brink.
Despite the assurances of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and senior ministers of taking strictest of action against those involved in the incident, the OAS Association has been unrelenting, and continued its strike in different districts.
The Association on Thursday issued a three-day ultimatum to the state government to arrest BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan, whom it accused of being the kingpin behind the assault. It also demanded provision of adequate security for all field-level executive officers including tehsildars, sub-collectors, BDOs and executive officers, and public condemnation of the incident by the government.
Notwithstanding the serious problems faced by common citizens in availing public services, around 1,500 OAS and ORS officers working in more than 20 districts, including Cuttack, Khurda, Ganjam, Balangir, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Kendrapara, Sambalpur and Koraput continued their indefinite mass leave, disrupting day-to-day government work.
The protest also hampered administrative services in Lok Seva Bhawan here and other government establishments in the capital city. Apart from the OAS and ORS bodies at the state and district-level, a dozen of other employees associations including Odisha Engineers’ Service Association have also extended their support to the agitation. The protest has left thousands of citizens to grapple with delays in availing a wide range of critical services - from caste and income certificates to filing grievance for land mutation.
Students and their parents were the worst hit as the admission season is entering its last leg and they have to submit income and caste certificates in the schools, colleges and universities to get a seat.
Public anger also seemed to be mounting against the officers due to the strike. “All administrative work from panchayats to blocks, tehsils and district-level has been paralysed due the anti-people action of the OAS officers. They are holding common people to ransom, depriving them of essential services. The government should take strong action against them,” said a parent Ramesh Rana of Koraput.
Sambalpur-based social activist Debashis Pradhan said, “The assault on the officer is definitely condemnable, but going on mass leave like this is an irresponsible and insensitive. People across the district are suffering because of it. As public servants, they have a responsibility towards the people and the system they represent. There are other ways to protest without bringing the entire administration to a standstill and making citizens pay the price. This shows complete disregard for the hardships faced by ordinary people.”
Social media platforms too exploded with many voicing their ire against the agitating OAS officers. “People are facing a lot of inconvenience because of the act of certain ‘corrupt’ officers. In some cases, people who are close to 100 years of age are not getting enhanced pension. Who should be blamed, the government or the departmental officers?” said one Bikash Kumar, on X.
Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari once again urged the agitating officers to resume their duty in view of the prevailing flood situation and Rath Yatra. “We are standing with the officers. No one will be spared and the law will take its course. However, considering the current situation in which four to five districts are in flood grip and Bahuda Yatra of Lord Jagannath is about to start, I humbly appeal them to end their agitation and return to work immediately,” Pujari said.
The OAS Association that had earlier decided to defer its mass leave protest following assurance from the chief minister that stern action will be taken against those involved in the crime, however, reiterated that considering the widespread discontentment among its members, all officers will continue to be on leave until all their demands are met. Association president Jyoti Ranjan Mishra, though, said the officers will continue to discharge their duties in flood-affected areas and during the Rath Yatra.
Police have already arrested five persons including BJP corporator from ward no 29 Aparaup Narayan Rout for assaulting the officer. The BJP has also suspended them from the primary membership of the party.