BJP MP’s Claim On IAS Officer ‘Hijacking’ Governance In Odisha Triggers Political Debate

Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi’s allegation of a bureaucrat hijacking governance in Odisha sidelining elected representatives has triggered debate in political circles the state.

Mounting a scathing attack on the BJD government, Aparajita had on Saturday sought to know whether Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has authorised a secretary-level officer to go around announcing projects in different places while elected MLAs, MPs and Ministers are either onlookers or absent in those meetings.

While the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) accused Aparajita of still behaving like a bureaucrat despite being in politics for over four years, opposition Congress virtually endorsed the views expressed by the BJP leader.

Sharply reacting to the BJP leader’s allegation, BJD spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra said Aparajita seems to have pulled herself out of slumber as she held press meet in her party office after four years.

Stating that Aparajita is now a politician and not a bureaucrat anymore, she said the BJP MP should get out of her bureaucratic mindset.

There is nothing wrong for an officer in going and meeting patients at hospitals, asking about their health and taking care of them as governance is taken to door steps of people and projects are sanctioned in time frame in the state, Mishra said.

“Why are you scared when government is doing of this pro people governance.” Mishra said, adding that the BJP leader should not blame the state government for being proactive and pro-people just to cover up her ‘inefficiency.”

Accusing Aparajita of trying to stall development and working against people of Odisha, she said people will not allow anyone to come in between them and the transformation.

Expressing similar views, veteran politician and former Minister Damodar Rout accused Aparajita of trying to mislead people by making allegation about a secretary-level officer and said all steps are being taken as per Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s directive.

Rout also alleged that Aparajita used government resources to build her political career when she was the commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

However, Congress leader and the party state unit’s campaign committee chairman Bijay Patnaik said that if a secretary can take leadership like a politician and look after the people, there is no need to huge money in conducting elections.

Stating that the Chief Minister has been elected by the people and he should involve himself to safeguard their interests, he said, adding that if the CM can send his secretary to different places to announce projects, other Ministers can also do the same thing. In that case, bureaucrats can take full command to run the administration and there will be no need to have an elected government in the state, the Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, hours after she made the allegation at a press meet in Bhubaneswar, the BJP MP faced opposition from own party workers during a visit to a village in Tangi area of Khurda district in her Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday night.

The incident appeared to have been a fallout of her remarks as Aparajita is reportedly facing problems not only from the ruling BJD but also from within her own party. A powerful faction of BJP, allegedly having a tacit understanding with some BJD honchos, seems to be opposed to her, sources said.