BDO assaulted by BJD Sarpanch and supporters

Rajashree DashJajpur, Sep 2: A Block Development Officer (BDO) in Jajpur district of Odisha was allegedly assaulted by a Sarpanch of the ruling Biju Janata Dal and his supporters at his office over clearance of a pending Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) bill on Tuesday.Dasarathapur BDO Ambika Prasad Dash lodged an FIR at the Mangalpur police station stating that he was ill-treated and physically assaulted by Biripata gram panchayat Sarpanch Chittaranjan Nayak, former Sarpanch of the same gram panchayat Manoranjan Das and their supporters at his official chamber in the afternoon.“Biripata Sarpanch barged into my official chamber along with some of his supporters including former Sarpanch at about 1.30 pm.They asked me to sanction a bill relating to IAY scheme.I expressed my helplessness to clear that bill because the rule did not permit me as the construction is not completed.The Sarpanch and his supporters then abused me in filthy language and forced me to clear the bill that I refused to do,” the BDO stated in his FIR.“They got enraged and beat me in my official chamber,” the BDO said in his complaint to the police.Dash had gone to the police station in person to lodge the FIR.”The BDO has accused of Biripata Sarpanch and its former Sarpanch and their supporters who have misbehaved with and beat him in his office.The accused belonging to the ruling party workers,” said Sanjaya Kumar Parida, officer-in-charge of Mangalpur police station.A case has been registered in this connection.Investigation is on and no one has been arrested so far,” he said.On the other hand, the Biripata Sarpanch blamed the BDO for the incident.Rejecting the charge of the BDO, Sarpanch Nayak said that neither he nor his supporter had beaten the BDO.“I had gone to the official chamber of the BDO along with some of my supporters to request the latter to clear a bill relating to IAY which has been pending in the block office for the last so many months.Neither me nor any of my accompanist had assaulted the BDO,” said Nayak.Rather the BDO had misbehaved with them, he added.Police have been deployed in the block office premises soon after the incident.