Jayanarayan Mishra Dubs Odisha CMO A ‘Retired Officers’ Club’, BJD Counters

Bhubaneswar: Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Odisha Assembly on Friday with the Opposition BJP muonting a scathing attack on BJD government over the appointment of retired officers at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

In a stinging attack on the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government, the BJP stalwart and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jayanarayan Mishra alleged that the CMO has become a “retired officers’ club”.

Claiming that many retired officers have been given reappointment at the CM’s office, the senior BJP leader told reporters outside the House that the CMO has turned into a retired officers’ club – a recreation centre for retired people.

The reappointment of so many retired officers is surprising at a time when the state is unable to provide employment to the jobless youths, Mishra said.

Stating that there are many dynamic and efficient officers in the state, he said instead of recruiting them the state government has been appointing the retired officers as they will silently abide by every instruction.

Alleging that the move at rehabilitation of the officers who will act like their puppets, the firebrand BJP leader said the government should give a statement in the Assembly on the issue.

Reacting sharply to Mishra’s allegation, BJD MLA and former Minister Arun Sahoo sought to know as to how many retired IAS officers have been appointed at the office of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Sahoo also raised questions on the appointment of retired officers at the Prime Minister’s office and other offices at the South Block.