Padampur district status row: Protestors paint sub-collector office signboard as collector's office 

Fumed over the state government for not granting district status to Padampur sub-division in Bargarh district, Rajabodasambar Krushak Sangathan on Monday painted out the Odia word ‘Upa’, which means ‘Sub’ from the signboard at the sub-collector’s office in Padampur.

The move was a bid to rename the sub-collector's office as Collector's office. 

The people of Padampur have been demanding district status for the sub-division. There have been dharnas and agitations pressing for district status. Ahead of the Padampur by-poll, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik assured the people of Padampur that the district status would be given to Padampur by December 31, 2023. 

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With the deadline now elapsed, people staged a protest demonstration in front of the Sub-Collector’s office. Venting their ire, the members of the Rajabodasambar Krushak Sangathan painted out an Odia word from the signboard to make it read as Padampur Collector’s office, which is a reflection of their demands for district status and a collector's office. 

“The Chief Minister had assured the people of Padampur that the sub-division would be accorded district status by December 31. But that didn’t happen.  Today we realised that the Chief Minister hardly walks the talk. In protest against this, we painted out the word ‘Upa’ from the word ‘Upa Zillapal (Sub Collector) on the signboard at the Sub Collector’s office. From today onwards, Padampur has become a district,” said a member of Rajabodasambar Krushak Sangathan.

Another member of the association said, “If he had no intention to give the sub-division a district status, he shouldn’t have made the announcement. As he had announced that before the by-poll, we voted his party’s candidate to power. Now we feel he had lied to us to get votes.”

No comments have been received from the ruling BJD.