Odisha Govt Relieves Agriculture Officer From Duty For ‘Administrative Paralysis’ In Sundargarh

Rourkela: Less than a month after taking charge, the Odisha government relieved chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) Janaki Ballav Mohapatra from duty on ‘administrative ground’ amid reports of alleged non-implementation of agricultural schemes in Odisha’s Sundargarh.

Following the retirement of Birendra Behera on April 31, Mohapatra, then agriculture district officer (ADO) of Nayagarh, was posted as the new Sundargarh CDAO on May 17. He, however, officially took charge from in-charge CDAO and Lefripada ADO Harihar Nayak on July 31. He also kept on skipping important meetings during his stay in Sundargarh because of which work in the agriculture office suffered.

The collector recently wrote to the Agriculture Department in this regard and the latter, in an order on August 24, asked Mohapatra to join the office of the Director of Agriculture and Food Production, Bhubaneswar. Nayak was back as the in-charge Sundargarh CDAO and head of the department with delegation of financial powers.  When Mohapatra did not hand over official charge to Nayak, the Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production in another order on August 28 relieved him of his duties in Sundargarh.

He got the order while attending a public grievance meeting convened by Sundargarh collector Parag Harshad Gavali in Bisra block and immediately rushed to Bhubaneswar instead of handing over charge to Nayak, the TINE reported.