Bhubaneswar: The BJD government in the State was pushed to the back foot on Sunday when Excise minister Damodar Rout questioned the efficacy of the government machinery after the issue of the fraudulent gazette notification by Dr Motilal Gouda came to the fore.
Talking to media persons, Rout said, “Action can be taken only after things become public. Who in the administration are involved in the fraud? I completely agree with the questions being raised in this matter. How come he was transferred from Health department to Textile department and appointed as an assistant director? How was the gazette notification changed, something that is usually cleared by a minister?”
The excise minister further stated, “When I was the Health minister of the State, 112 government doctors were on wilful leave. I caught hold of two of them at the KIIT hospital and took action against them by suspending them. Besides, in 2014, I wrote in the file the 112 doctors who are taking wilful leave should be dismissed. Again this thing is happening in 2016. That’s because the government allowed the laxity.”
Meanwhile, Bijoy Mohapatra, senior BJP leader, demanded strong action against the involved minister, MLAs and officers in the Gouda case.
Mohapatra said, “As per the law, an abettor of a crime is as responsible as the offender. The government should not delay the matter and immediately arrest Motilal and take action against the minister, MLAs and officers involved.”
The BJP leader further stated, “This is the first time in the history of Odisha that a government gazette notification is published fraudulently. No officer committed such a crime in the tenure of any previous government.”