BERHAMPUR: BJP MLA from Asika Saroj Kumar Padhi found himself embroiled in controversy after the chief development officer (CDO) of Ganjam Zilla Parishad, Sameer Kumar Jena, lodged a police complaint on Thursday, accusing him of misbehaviour, criminal intimidation and obstructing government work.
While Padhi termed the incident a misunderstanding between the two, the Ganjam OAS Association threw its weight behind the officer and demanded action against the MLA.
In his complaint, Jena, a 2022-batch IAS officer, alleged that the MLA had threatened to kill him during an altercation in the office chamber of Asika municipality executive officer (EO) Rajesh Mohapatra on November 3. The MLA entered the chamber along with Mohapatra and asked the others present to leave. He then confronted Jena over the distribution of relief materials to flood-affected people, the complaint stated.
The CDO explained that relief materials had been arranged by the Steel and Mines Minister and distributed among beneficiaries following telephonic instructions from the minister. However, his explanation reportedly irked the MLA, who asserted that he was the minister in Asika and that nothing moved without his consent, the complaint alleged.
Jena reportedly told the MLA to take up the matter directly with the minister, as he had merely followed official instructions. However, Padhi allegedly continued shouting at him and accused him of creating disturbances in the area, Jena said.
The CDO further alleged that the MLA threatened to assault and kill him. The legislator’s personal security officer advised him to leave the premises, following which he walked out of the office. He claimed that the entire incident had been captured on CCTV cameras and urged the police to examine the footage to establish what had transpired.
Meanwhile, members of the Ganjam OAS Association, along with officers and employees of various departments and the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA), met collector V Keerthi Vasan and submitted a memorandum seeking strong action against the MLA.
The collector reportedly assured them that he would bring the matter to the notice of the state government.
On the other hand, the MLA said the dispute had arisen out of a misunderstanding and had since been resolved through mutual discussion. Speaking to mediapersons, Padhi said he had spoken to Jena and had no complaints against the officer.
“Both of us were working in the flood-affected areas. We had been working for nearly eight days without proper food or sleep. In the process, some misunderstanding developed, which is quite normal. We have discussed the matter and resolved it,” he said after a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar.
ADM Devadatta Panda, Zilla Parishad additional executive officer Bijay Kumar Behera and ORMAS deputy CEO Rajagopal Dash were present when the memorandum was submitted.
BJD DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST PADHI FOR OBSTRUCTING FLOOD AID
Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Thursday demanded legal action against Asika MLA Saroj Padhi for allegedly obstructing relief distribution to flood-affected people in Ganjam, misbehaving with a government official on duty and threatening to kill him. Addressing a press conference at Sankha Bhawan, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said, “When the flood-affected people are struggling to overcome the grave situation and desperately waiting for government assistance, instead of extending cooperation in relief distribution and rehabilitation, the Asika MLA is indulging in hooliganism. Such conduct is highly condemnable.”
He sought an impartial investigation into the complaint filed by the chief development officer of Ganjam Sameer Jena at the Asika police station against the MLA, for this objectionable behaviour. If the MLA was found guilty, the government should take stringent action against him in accordance with law, he said.
