Pradeep Pattanayak

Throwing the rules that prevent them to participate in canvassing for political leaders to the wind, some government employees are taking active part in such activities in the run up to the Panchayat polls in Odisha. 

As per reports, teachers constitute a majority of these violators. 

A look at the social media account of Tarinisen Padhan, a teacher in Bolangir district, will be enough to drive home the point. 

In his social media account, Tarainisen has shared a poster of his wife, Lipika Padhan, who is contesting for Zilla Parishad member post from zone no-17 in Bolangir district. Apart from posting his wife’s poster, Tarinisen has also put a photo which shows him with former BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo in one frame.

However, Padhan pleads innocence. While he termed the photo wherein he shares space with the BJD leader as ‘old’, about his wife’s poster in his social media account, he sought to put the blame on his children.

“As his wife is a contestant for a Zilla Parishad post, he is campaigning for her on his Facebook account. I have submitted the photo to the Sub Collector for action,” said Gajendra Dalei, the complainant. 

Bolangir Sub Collector Lambodara Dharua said, “A probe is underway. The report will be submitted to the Collector for necessary actions.” 

Like Padhan, Dillip Pathy, headmaster of Bharasuja Chheliapat High School in Agalpur Block in Bolangir district, also campaigned for Ganesh Sahu, a Congress candidate from Zilla Parishad zone no-1, over the WhatsApp group of Agalpur Block headmasters. Pathy’s reaction is yet to be received. 

Another instance is the Puintala Block education officer (BEO), Lokanath Suna. He was found to have campaigned for his niece, a Sarpanch candidate, on his social media account. In a video that recently went viral, even the principal of Tarini College, Kendrapada, and SDPO were seen participating in a political meeting organised on the premises of the college. 

When contacted for reaction, the Puintala BEO admitted to the blunder, saying he had not done it intentionally. 

Meanwhile, the State Election Commissioner, Aditya Prasad Padhi, said the allegations regarding government servant getting involved in the campaigning were being dealt with expeditiously.  

The question arising now is why the government servants are associating themselves with the candidates? Is it due to the fear of being targeted by the government? Or, it is because of the wish to be in the good books of the government? 

“It will be no exaggeration to say that officers and staff are acting like the leaders and workers of the ruling BJD.  They are engaged to do odd jobs, starting from mobilizing people to distributing money,” said Union Minister Bishweswar Tudu.

Hitting out at the BJD, chairman of Congress OBC Cell, Gyanadeba Beura, said, “The Chief Minister is only concerned about the results. So the entire administration is busy to achieve his targets.”   
Defending his party, BJD MLA Sashi Bhusan Behera said there was nothing new in the Opposition levelling such allegations. “During every election, the same types of allegations are levelled. But the government is cautious enough to make elections impartial,” Behera said.
 

scrollToTop