Bureaucrats should self-introspect: BJD Leader Dama Rout

Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD leader Damodar Rout on Friday once again fanned the controversy surrounding the attack on residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's private secretary VK Pandian saying that officers protesting the attack will be better off doing some self-introspection.

Dama Rout's op-ed appeared in a local vernacular daily today with the headline 'introspection before protest,' which many felt was a veiled attack on Pandian.

“We also condemned the attack and so did different associations. But the members of those associations who are protesting must also think about their duties while raising their voices,” said Rout.

Rout said protesting the attack is the constitutional right of the bureaucrats but they should first be clear about the concerned official's honesty, discipline and integrity towards service rules and regulations.

The former minister opined that it is the duty of the bureaucrats to give advice and suggestions to the ministers and obey their orders. However, bureaucrats have started ignoring suggestions given by ministers which is regressive for development, he said.

When approached for comments, BJD leaders skilfully dodged questions on Rout’s statement.

Earlier, Rout had said that there is no harm in removing the bureaucrat (Pandian) on moral grounds if there are allegations against him citing that he was also removed from his ministerial post in a similar fashion.