Why Bishnupada Made OSD

Bhubaneswar: when the name of senior IAS Bishnupada Sethy cropped up during a raid on a prominent builder and seizure of Rs 10 lakh cash from near a posh hotel in the capital city, all were not surprised. There are allegations of corruption against many senior IAS officials—touted as belonging to the VK Pandian camp—and the people of the state had hoped that the new BJP government led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will come down heavily on them. In the past six months since the new government was sworn in, no sign of any action against these officials were visible. It is normal for the people of the state, who were flabbergasted with the actions of Pandian before the election. They have been waiting for some concrete action against such officials who not only enjoyed patronage of different governments at different times but held plum posts and allegedly furthered their personal agenda.

          Before the Assembly election, two senior police officials—DS Kuttey and Ashish Singh and one senior IAS officer and wife of Pandian Sujata Kartikeyan were punished by the Election Commission of India for furthering the interest of the Biju Janata Dal remaining in key posts. Sujata was shifted to an innocuous post in the Finance Department while Kuttey was placed under suspension by the poll panel and later posted as Officer on Special Duty in the Home Department. Ashish Singh hoodwinked the administration and remained on leave on health grounds for a considerable time to be posted later as another Officer on Special Duty in the Home Department. Sujata Kartikeyan chose to proceed on six months ‘child care’ leave.

          Strangely, according to an RTI activist both Kuttey and Singh were not assigned any responsibility in the Department but combinedly drew a whooping Rs 25 lakh as salary—all public money.

          According to the RTI activist, these officials are protected by certain officials at present working in the State government as they belong to the same clan. Even the Chief Minister’s Office is alleged to be favouring these officials.

          Interestingly, Both Kuttey and Singh have now gone on central deputation to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Border Security Force in senior posts. This again has created unrest in the mind of the people of the state as they feel these officials have rather been rewarded despite such allegations.

          So when Sethy was shifted as OSD such feelings are natural to come. It is not proved so far that Sethy is guilty. But public perception is that he may also escape the noose considering his proximity with people in the State administration.

          Sethy has also been granted the status of a principal secretary while being an officer on Special Duty and will continue to draw full salary during the period of posting without any responsibility.

          The allegations are serious and can not be discounted. But it is time for the Mohan Majhi government to assure people that no guilty person will ever go scot-free.

          Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan had recently said that Law will take its own course and no guilty person will escape. It is time to prove the Majhi government’s zero tolerance towards corruption.