Registering a strong protest against the assault of a senior official of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation by local BJP men, the Odisha Administrative Service Association (OASA) on Wednesday resorted to cease work by availing en-masse leave and sought the arrest of the culprits and protection of officers on duty.
With the administrative officers abstaining from duty, the day-to-day functioning of public offices in the district headquarters, sub division and blocks has come to a near-standstill.
The apex body of state-cadre administrative officers in a memorandum to chief minister Mohan Majhi urged him to do the needful to put Jagannath Pradhan, a BJP leader who unsuccessfully contested the 2024 assembly polls, behind the bar alleging that Pradhan masterminded the heinous attack on Ratnakar Sahoo, the additional commissioner, BMC.
In a brazen show of violence, a group of BJP cadres including a local corporator allegedly kicked, punched, and forcibly dragged Sahoo out of the BMC office and launched a murderous attack on him. Five miscreants who were arrested and were later suspended from BJP were reported to be close followers of Pradhan.
“This heinous act is a stark reminder of the risks and vulnerabilities faced by our members in the line of duty. The incident, which occurred in broad daylight, is not only an assault on an individual officer but a direct attack on the dignity and sanctity of public service in the State. Such a brazen act has destroyed the morale of officers working across the state, who discharge their duties under challenging circumstances and with limited protection.
“We believe that unless strong and swift action is taken, such incidents may set a dangerous precedent and further endanger the lives and integrity of officers in service,” the OASA memorandum addressed to the CM noted.
Considering the widespread discontentment of all members of the Association working across the State, it has been decided that all OAS officers will continue to be on leave until demands are met. The Government will treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves and initiate appropriate action at the earliest to ensure that dignity of the officers at the workplace is restored and protected, the Association concluded in the memorandum.