He said despite having no differences with anyone in the party, he was not invited to the program.
“None had either informed me or telephoned me about the meeting. Why should I have gone when I was not invited,” Bahinipati added.
Bahinipati's wife, Meenakshi, who is the Koraput district unit chief of Congress, also did not attend the meeting.
“As the programme is being held in Koraput constituency; all youth activists and party leaders have been invited. Some have come whereas some others may not. I have come here as an invitation was sent to me,” said PCC working president Pradeep Majhi.
Meanwhile, All India Youth Congress president V. Srinivasan, Pradesh Youth Congress president Lokanath Maharathy and Koraput MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria and Laxmipur MLA Kailash Chandra Kulesika were present in the meeting.
A group of party members led by Congress chief whip in Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati and senior leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra took out a procession from the party office here, which culminated at the IG office.
A team of representatives submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor demanding his intervention in the case to the IG.
Congress alleged that police waylaid some party activists coming to join the protest rally.
"Around 20,000 to 30,000 people are gathered here to protest against his arrest. It clearly shows the popularity of Ramesh Jena", Bahinipati said.
The party also said that it will reach out to people with the message of 'false cases' slapped against Jena.
"Police are acting as per the direction of State government. Ramesh Jena has been trapped in false cases. We are protesting against it. We will take the matter to the people in the near future," PCC general secretary Bikram Panda said.
Meanwhile, police have unearthed Ramesh Jena' links with a chit fund firm. Berhampur SP Sarthak Sarangi said Jena has links to the scam-tainted Green India Chit fund company.
Moreover, a luxury vehicle belonging to Jena bearing Haryana state registration number has also been seized, informed Sarangi.
According to police, Jena has 12 cases pending in his name at various police stations in Ganjam police district and 13 cases in Berhampur police district.
Police have established his involvement in murder, thrashing and maiming people, tender fixing, forcible possession and purchase of private land by threatening people, gutkha trade, country liquor trade and transport business.
A team of Berhampur Police had arrested Jena along with his three associates from Bhubaneswar on March 6 in connection with the February 29 bomb explosion in the house of a local corporator.
On Thursday, police had raided Jena’s house at Gambhariguda village under Patapur police station limits in Ganjam district and seized two revolvers and some incriminating documents.
The issue was raised during Zero Hour in the Assembly by BJD member Samir Ranjan Dash who sought steps for launching pension and health insurance schemes for journalists of Odisha as implemented in different states.
Dash was supported by his party colleagues Amar Prasad Satpathy, Prafulla Samal, Pravat Biswal, Sanjeev Sahu, D S Mishra, Ramesh Chandra Chayupatnaik, Mahesh Sahoo and Priyadarshi Mishra.
The ruling party members said about a dozen of states have already implemented pension and health insurance schemes for journalists and Odisha should not lag behind.
They said though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had assured the journalists in 2013 that the government would make provision of pension and health insurance, it was yet to be fulfilled.
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BJP members Pradip Purohit and Rabinarayan Naik criticised the state government for not implementing the schemes for the scribes and also wanted to know about the recommendation of a committee headed by Chief Secretary on welfare of journalists in the state.
Congress chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati said "It is unfortunate that Odisha, which is celebrating its 80th year of foundation, has failed to meet the basic requirements of journalists, while newly created states like Telangana and Chhattisgarh have already announced pension and health insurance for scribes."
The Congress MLA urged the Speaker to give a direction to the state government to fulfil the genuine demands of journalists.
The District unit of Congress will observe the bandh from 10 am to 3 pm. The party has also threatened to stage picketing at several places of Koraput and block vehicular movement on National Highway 26.
While justifying the demand, Congress chief whip and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, “There is a need for a HC bench in the district which fulfils all the criteria laid down by the Jaswant Singh Commission.
The area is more than 500 kms away from the Orissa HC in Cuttack and tribal dominated.”
Further Bahinipati stated the district unit of the party will support the Mahabandh called by the Koraput lawyers’ body December 18.
“Koraput fulfils all the criteria needed for the setting up of permanent HC bench. Besides, the lawyers of Koraput had also met the Chief Minister over the issue earlier,” BJD spokesperson, Rabi Narayan Nanda.
The issue was raised by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Pradipta Kumar Naik of the BJP as soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour.
He demanded a discussion on the law and order, by suspending the Question Hour.
Naik said, the sensational triple murder in broad daylight near a police outpost at Pipili in Puri district on Sunday indicated the lack of law and order in the state.
Three members of a family were killed by miscreants near Pattnaikiya chhak on Puri-Bhubaneswar main road at Pipili on Sunday afternoon in the presence of several people.
The incident took place close to a police camp set up for the Rath Yatra festival.
As the BJP members rushed into the well of the House and continued their demand for a discussion on the matter, Speaker S N Patro adjourned the House till 11.30 am.
The House was again adjourned till 3 pm due to protest by Congress lawmakers.
Naik also alleged that the police was working on a partisan manner and taking action against those who did not vote for the ruling BJD in the recent elections.
The Leader of Opposition cited the instance of social boycott of the family of Bidur Sahu at Bataora village in Puri district and police atrocity on women in Sundergarh district.
"I demand a statement from the chief minister on the police inaction in certain cases, leading to deterioration of law and order," Naik said.
As soon as the House met after 11.30 am, Congress members led by Taraprasad Bahinipati and Suresh Routray created an uproar condemning the government for the lack of law and order in the state. They demanded a ruling from the Chair and sought a reply from the chief minister.
The chief minister was not present in the House.
In his bid to restore normalcy in the House, the Speaker in a ruling directed the Minister of State for Home, D S Mishra, to give a statement.
However, opposition members rejected it and attempted to climb on the Speaker's podium demanding a statement from the chief minister. Finally, Patro adjourned the House till 3 pm.
Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra said, "The law and order has virtually collapsed. It has deteriorated to such an extent that rule of jungle now prevails in the state."
"A triple murder takes place close to a police camp and a minor tribal girl is raped in Puri town despite presence of 10,000 strong police force during Rath Yatra," Mishra said.
The Congress leader said, police inaction has many times forced the people to take law into their own hands and resort to violence.
"This is anarchy and such incidents will take place, unless the government takes action.
"Therefore, I demand a statement from the chief minister and an assurance from the government that the police will take prompt action against criminals," Mishra said.
Assembly Speaker S N Patro announced formation of the 16-member committee, before adjourning the winter session of the House sine die on Saturday.
"Representatives of the committee will visit Delhi and meet the prime minister. The Assembly secretariat will seek appointment from his office," the speaker said.
He said the committee has been formed keeping in view the concerns expressed by members of the House over the project.
Patro will head the committee which will comprise members from all the parties including the BJP and the Congress.
Members in the committee are Parliamentary Affairs Minister B K Arukha, Agriculture Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi, Water Resource Minister Raghunandan Das, ST-SC Development Minister Jagannath Saraka and government chief whip Pramila Mallick.
BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi, Congress whip Taraprasad Bahinipati and Laxman Munda of the CPI(M) are also part of the panel.
The state government has been opposing the Polavaram project stating that the multi-purpose dam is being constructed by the Andhra Pradesh government in violation of all the existing norms.
"The statutory Gram Sabhas have not been conducted even though the project will displace tribals in Odisha's Malkangiri district and submerge reserve forests," BJD member Debiprasad Mishra said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier written a letter to the prime minister, seeking his intervention to halt the project till all the pending issues are settled in the Supreme Court.
He had said the Polavaram project should not be constructed by "sacrificing" Odisha's interests.
The chief minister had pointed out that there have been violations in obtaining requisite clearances for the project from the central ministries.
Patnaik had sought reformulation of the Polavaram project as per the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal award without causing large scale submergence in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
The Jeypore MLA, who was the first to ask questions in the House, clarified that he did not mean to insult Patro and that the gesture was a mark of gratitude towards the speaker.
"I wanted to thank the Speaker. The flying kiss was a mark of my appreciation for him as he showed concern for the backward areas in my constituencies.
"I am indebted to the Speaker for giving me the opportunity among the 147 members of the House to raise the first question," Bahinipati told reporters outside the Assembly.
Among other issues, the MLA drew the government's attention to the drinking water problems in his constituency.
The lawmaker had last week raised eyebrows when he approached Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the first day of the winter session and asked, "Apana Khusi Ta? (Sir, Are you happy?)"
Patnaik had promptly responded, saying "Mu Bahut Khushi. (I am very happy)"
The BJD president, during his election campaigns earlier this year, often asked voters if they were happy.
The phrase has gained such popularity in the state that T-shirts with 'Apana Khusi ta' written on them are being sold online.
As soon as Governor Ganeshi Lal started reading the achievements of the State Government, senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra stood up protesting State Government's all-round failure in addressing paddy procurement. Later, members of the Congress party staged a walkout from the Assembly.
Speaking to media persons later, Congress leader Narasingha Mishra criticised the Governor's address in Assembly. "The address of the Governor has skirted the main issues confronting the State. The written speech read by Governor is an attempt to eulogise State Government. The Congress party staged a walk out to protest ruling party's abhorrent attitude," alleged Mishra.
The members of the Congress party later joined the proceedings of the House. After expressing condolences to former ministers (Bhagabat Mohanty, Jagannath Rout) and members (Satchidananda Deo, Bhagirathi Das, Radha Govinda Sahu, Daittari Behera, Naka Lachhimaya and Gourahari Naik) of the House, Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati protested over absence of officers in Official's gallery.
Expressing dissatisfaction over Speaker's reply, Congress members trooped into the well of the House. Members created a ruckus in the House. Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro then gave a ruling that put an embargo on media to cover the proceedings of the House at that hour.
Protesting the ruling, BJP members alleging the ruling unconstitutional and undemocratic entered the well of the House.
When ruling party chief whip Pramila Mallick was speaking on Motion of thanks on Governor's address, members from opposition BJP and Congress created a ruckus, which then forced the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.
Speaking to media persons, Congress leader Taraprasad Bahinipati termed the ruling of the Speaker reminiscent of British era. He charged that the State is being ruled by Officers. "Congress will not let the House function till the Speaker rescinds its ruling," he thundered.
Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Pradipta Naik condemned the Speaker's ruling. Calling it unconstitutional, Naik said the Speaker is responsible for the adjournment. Instead of giving a ruling asking officers to attend the session, Speaker put a ban on media coverage.
On the other hand, ruling BJD charged the opposition of playing to gallery for gaining cheap popularity. "When a ruling has been given by Speaker, it must have constitutional sanction. People send us here to raise and deliberate on people's issues, not raising ruckus to draw media attention," said BJD Chief Whip Pramilla Mallick.
Replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Narasingh Mishra, Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra said that these vacancies were out of the 72,119 sanctioned posts in the police, whose present staff strength is 62,065.
While 501 vacancies are in Group A posts, 1,823 are in Group B, 6,487 in Group C and 1,243 in Group D posts.
He said that the state is taking steps to fill up the vacancies through a recruitment drive as also promotions and transfers.
To a question by Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, the Minister said that out of the total sanctioned 195 IPS posts in Odisha, 78 were lying vacant.
Mishra said 29 state cadre IPS officers are on central deputation, out of which three had remained posted out of the state for the last 12 years.
(IANS)