‘No work without PC’: Odisha BDO accused of corruption, 36 leaders gherao Collectorate

Serious allegations of corruption have been levelled against the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Bolagarh in Odisha’s Khordha district, triggering strong protests by elected public representatives. 

The protesters have accused the BDO of demanding bribes and alleged that no developmental work is being carried out in the block without payment of illegal commission, commonly referred to as ‘PC’.

According to sources, Bolagarh BDO Suman Sudha Kundu has been accused of running the block administration in an arbitrary manner and failing to cooperate with elected representatives in implementing development projects. The complainants further alleged that repeated requests related to public welfare and developmental works have been ignored, leading to delays and stagnation in the block.

Raising these allegations, the Bolagarh Block Chairperson, along with sarpanchs from different panchayats, panchayat samiti members, and zilla parishad members, staged a protest and gheraoed the office of the Khordha District Collector on Saturday. The protest witnessed participation of nearly 36 elected representatives.

Also Read: Cuttack SCB Medical College Associate Professor held with Rs 2.63L by Odisha Vigilance

The protesters also alleged that the BDO disrespected MLA Pradip Kumar Sahu by remaining absent from the block-level Republic Day celebrations and allegedly misbehaving on the occasion, which further aggravated resentment among the MLA, elected representatives, and local residents.

Additionally, the elected representatives claimed that the BDO has consistently sidelined public representatives, undermining democratic functioning at the grassroots level.

A memorandum containing 14 demands was submitted to CM Mohan Majhi through the District Collector, seeking immediate action against the BDO. The protesters warned that if no concrete action is taken within seven days, they will intensify their agitation.

However, no response could be obtained from the BDO regarding the allegations at the time of filing this report.