Odisha: OAS officers in 16 districts go on strike after assault, BJP suspends 5 members including accused corporator in Bhubaneswar over massive outrage
On 2nd July, Odisha Bharatiya Janata Party president Manmohan Samal suspended five members from the party’s primary membership. The action took place in the wake of their involvement in the violence at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office, the day before. An on-duty Odisha Administrative Services (OAS) official was attacked by a group of individuals in his office chamber on the grounds of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The incident happened while Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo was holding a meeting in his chamber to address grievances. The attackers hauled him from his office, slapped, punched, and kicked him. Afterwards, they made him apologise to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jagannath Pradhan.
Ward No. 29 Corporator Aparup Narayan Rout (also known as Jeevan Rout), along with Rashmi Ranjan Mahapatra, Debashis Pradhan, Sachikanta Swain and Sanjeev Mishra have been ousted by the saffron party. “The police have so far arrested three persons, including a BJP corporator Jeevan Rout, in connection with the assault and are searching for others,” an officer informed.
Several sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including 109 (attempt to murder) have been invoked against the perpetrators. According to police sources, further arrests in the case are imminent.
OAS and ORS officers on indefinite strike
The attack has prompted employees of the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) and the Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) in sixteen districts of the state to go on indefinite leave starting 2nd July including Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Rayagada, Deogarh, Nuapada, Subarnapur, Balasore, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Jharsuguda.
The officers have stated unequivocally that they will not resume their duties unless the matter is addressed in a concrete manner. The Cuttack district has seen about 150 OAS and ORS officers take mass leave. However, they have promised to return to work in the event of an emergency.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also communicated with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. He urged the latter to take prompt and exemplary measures against not only the individuals who committed this act but, more crucially, the political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this disgraceful attack.
“If a senior officer is not safe in his own office, then what law and order will ordinary citizens expect from the government,” he added and hoped for immediate action in the case.
The Odisha Administrative Service Association had earlier decided to launch an agitation and asked its members to take a “mass leave” starting on 2nd July in protest of the instance. However, they have decided to postpone their decision after receiving assurances from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi that all the culprits, irrespective of their political background or influence, would face harsh consequences.
Bhubaneswar sanitation workers have also cancelled their services and demanded that everyone involved in the incident be arrested right away.
On the other hand, the BMC officer reportedly mistreated a female sanitation worker for attending rallies led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, claimed BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan, who denounced the incident.
“When the woman sanitation worker informed me about the misbehaviour, I called the officer (Sahoo) to enquire about it. He then misbehaved with me,” he argued and refuted claims that he instructed his followers to assault the official.
BMC workers continued to participate in a cease-work demonstration while BMC Commissioner Rajesh Patil assured that measures are underway to improve office security to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Govt attempts to alleviate the situation
On the evening of 1st July, the state government met twice with representatives from the OAS association.
“The first meeting was held with Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja in the presence of DGP (Director General of Police) Y B Khurania. Later, another round of meetings was conducted under the chairmanship of the chief minister in the presence of the chief secretary, DGP, police commissioner and advocate general. The meeting lasted till midnight,” stated an official.
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