Dhenkanal Collector, MP face off in DMF meeting

Dhenkanal Collector Saroj Kumar Sethi and MP Mahesh Sahoo reportedly had a face off during the District Mineral Fund (DMF) meeting at the conference hall of Zilla Parishad in Dhenkanal on Wednesday.

As per reports, the DMF meeting was conducted after a gap of three years. Sahu asked about the expenditure of the fund. He also asked why the projects undertaken with the fund are not completed in time. The MP alleged that the government officials are flouting all the rules and regulations including those under 5T initiative.

In reply, Collector Sethi told himself as a ‘rubber stamp’. The development led to heated exchange between both of them.

The incident has become the talk of the town in the political sphere.

“Collector and Chairman should have presided over the DMF meeting. However, the meetings are not conducted in the constitutional manner. The meetings should have been conducted in every three-four months. But it was conducted after two years,” said Sahu.

“District Mineral funds should be approved before one year. As it has not been approved earlier, different projects could not be completed in time. The government officials are floating all the rules and regulations including the 5T. When I questioned about these things, Collector told him as a ‘rubber stamp’,” said Sahu.

However, Collector Sethi dismissed the reports of any face-off between him and the MP.

“The allegation about face-off is baseless. It was only a difference of opinion. Whenever there is a discussion about development, there is bound to have difference of opinions,” said Sethi.