Member of Parliament, Aparajita Sarangi on Sunday raised serious questions on the high-level security being provided to 5T secretary VK Pandian for his Bargarh district visit. The 5T Secretary is expected to review various development works here.
The Bhubaneswar MP questioned the rationale behind granting high-level security to the 5T Secretary during his visit to the district.
Taking to her Twitter handle, Sarangi wrote, “Deployment order today. If this is the Odisha Police deployment standards for “Hon’ble Secretary", will the @DGPOdisha clarify what is the deployment level for Chief Secretary, Dev Commissioner? Why should a person going to inspect development work have so much fear & ‘insecurity’?."
In the deployment order, the IICs of Bargarh Town, Sadar, Padampur, Ambabhona, Attabira and Bhatli police stations have been instructed to direct the havildars, APR & OAPF to report before RI, Bargarh positively for the visit of 5T secretary.
Moreover, the letter mentions that the police personnel should have a dress code of blue pants and white shirts.
"If the secretary is being given such high-level security, then what is the deployment level for Chief Secretary and Commissioner?" she questioned.
She further raised serious concerns about the need for such high-level security when Pandian was going to inspect development works in Bargarh.
BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra said, “It has never happened in the state that policemen are being used as bouncers. The 5T secretary is doing his own propaganda. It seems the Chief Minister has become weak or is not able to take grievance meetings.”
The Congress too targeted the 5T secretary for keeping its leader Sudarshan Das under house arrest during the secretary’s visit to Balasore.
When asked, Congress spokesperson Sudarshan Das said, “I was kept literally under house arrest for 24 hours starting June 22, 4 pm till VK Pandian left Jaleswar. I had never seen protesters to be kept under house arrest during the visit of a secretary.”
In her reaction, Revenue Minister Pramila Mallik said, “Chief Minister and Ministers give directions and bureaucrats implement them. The same thing is happening here. The Chief Minister is giving directions and the bureaucrats are implementing them. During the visits of the 5T secretary, none is being detained.”
Former chief secretary Sahadeb Sahu said the arrangements for the visit of the 5T secretary are illegal.
“The expenses incurred during the visit of the 5T secretary should have been passed in the Assembly. This is illegal. The second thing is, if he is visiting as the representative of a minister, give him the status of a minister,” said Sahu.