Bhubaneswar: Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officers continued their “cease work” agitation for the third consecutive day on Thursday, excluding Puri and flood-affected areas, in protest against the alleged assault on Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo. The officers are demanding the immediate arrest of BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan, who they claim orchestrated the attack.
The widespread strike has severely disrupted administrative functions and public service delivery across Odisha, including the capital city of Bhubaneswar.
The protest stems from an incident on Monday where Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo was allegedly dragged out of his office and assaulted by a group of miscreants. So far, five individuals have been arrested in connection with the assault.
Following a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari appealed to the striking officers to end their agitation, citing the ongoing flood situation and the upcoming Rath Yatra. Shri Pujari assured that the remaining accused would be apprehended and brought to justice.
Despite the government’s appeal, the OAS officers have remained steadfast in their protest. Jyoti Ranjan Mishra, president of the Odisha Administrative Service Association(OASA), reiterated their primary demand: “We demand the arrest of Shri Pradhan who is behind the attack on the officer. We have full faith in our Chief Minister that he will take strong action against the conspirator.”
However, Shri Mishra confirmed that OAS officers deployed in flood-affected areas and those appointed in Puri for the Rath Jatra have been instructed to continue their duties and are doing so diligently.
Minister Shri Pujari, while again urging the officers to postpone their protest, stated, “Have faith in us. It would not be proper to arrest someone without proper investigation and evidence.”
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also weighed in on the incident, asserting, “No one is above the law. No one, including our party workers, should take the law into their own hands. I have full faith that the state government would take appropriate action in this incident.”
The incident has also ignited a political debate in the state. BJP MP Pradip Purohit alleged that the OAS Association’s strike is “politically motivated to defame the government” and is being orchestrated at the “instruction of BJD leadership.”
However, BJD leader and Lawmaker, Sarada Jena rejected the accusation, stating it was improper to involve the party in the issue. Shri Jena countered, “They don’t have the courage to take action against the saffron leaders, who have committed the assault on the officer.”