Nabarangpur: Sarpanches and samiti members of 11 panchayats staged a protest at the block office of Nandahandi in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district on Tuesday accusing the block development officer (BDO) of functioning in an arbitrary manner and indulging in irregularities.
The elected panchayat representatives also staged a dharna and put a lock at the main entrance of the block office in Nandahandi after asking all staff members to move out. They threatened that the block office would remain locked until BDO K C Sahu is transferred elsewhere.
According to sources, sarpanches and samiti members of 11 panchayats of the Nandahandi including block chairperson Rashmita Majhi took part in the protest.
The protesters alleged that the BDO has been functioning in an arbitrary manner without giving any information to the elected panchayat representatives. Proper information about meetings is also not being given to the members and despite repeated requests, the BDO has failed to take necessary steps, they claimed.
They also claimed that there are allegations about the BDO indulging in financial irregularities.
Refuting the allegations as false and baseless, the BDO said that he always passes on information to the samiti members and others through the panchayat executive officer (PEO).