Bijepur Bypoll: Odisha Govt Appoints New Collector, SP Of Bargarh

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Friday appointed Yamini Sarangi and Jai Narayan Pankaj as the Bargarh District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) respectively after the Election Commission (EC) cleared their names.

While Yamini Sarangi replaced Khagendra Kumar Padhi, Jai Narayan Pankaj replaced Jugal Kishore Banoth.

The Election Commission had asked the state government for removal of the collector and SP of Bargarh following the allegations by the BJP.

A delegation of the State BJP had met the EC in New Delhi on January 30 and submitted a list of senior officials of Bargarh district including the Collector Khagendra Kumar Padhi, SP Jugal Kishore Banoth, SDPO and BDOs of Bijepur, Gaisilat and Barpalli Blocks alleging that they are influencing the voters on behalf of the ruling BJD government as its agents for the ensuing bypoll to Bijepur Assembly constituency scheduled on February 24.

The delegation had also alleged that the Bargarh Police has not taken any action against the BJD workers who had attacked the house of Manoranjan Meher, a local BJP leader on January 7.

The EC after going through the allegations had asked the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar to direct the Additional Chief Secretary, Home to send a panel of three IPS officers, and the General Administration to send a panel of three IAS officers along with their service records. Later, the Home had asked the DGP to recommend a panel of three names of regular recruit IPS officers to which the latter sent the name of three IPS officers—Jayanarayan Pankaj, Pinak Mishra and K Sibasubramani to the Home Department.

The General Administration had also sent the name of three IAS officers including Yamini Sarangi.