B’NGIR WOMAN ZP MEMBER ATTACKS DY DIR, ARRESTED Thursday, 10 September 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

News in the English daily "The Pioneer"

B’NGIR WOMAN ZP MEMBER ATTACKS DY DIR, ARRESTED

Thursday, 10 September 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

Tension prevailed for hours in and around the Balangir DRDA premises on Wednesday after Deputy Director of Planning MN Munda was allegedly manhandled by a woman Zilla Parishad member during a meeting being held there.

Later, the accused BJD ZP member from Khaprakhol Zone, Baijayanti Saraf, was arrested by the Balangir town police.

According to reports, as the Zilla Parishad met in the morning, Saraf wanted a discussion on why her recommended proposal was not accepted and she was not informed about the same. To this, she was told that the matter would be discussed on a later date. Dissatisfied with the reply, she allegedly abused and manhandled Deputy Director of Planning MN Munda, sources said.

A few days ago, she had reportedly misbehaved and threatened Munda for not approving her project, and a complaint had also been lodged against her.

With Zilla Parishad meeting stopped after this development, the officials under the chairmanship of the district Collector held a meeting to decide the future course of action.

The DRDA office turned into a trouble zone further as a large number of members of the Zilla Adivasi Kalyan Sangh led by Braja Kishore Singh Bhoi and Niranjan Bisi gheraoed the office protesting the alleged neglect meted out to tribals by successive Governments.

They entered the DRDA office taking advantage of presence of a few police personnel present at the gate. Police had had also no intelligence reports about tribals’ trespassing plan.

The situation worsened further when the tribals got to know that Munda, a tribal officer, has been attacked by the BJD ZP member. They soon shouted slogans and demanded immediate arrest of Saraf.

The tribals armed with traditional weapons danced inside the DRDA office and when they tried to enter the main building they were, however, prevented by the police officials present there.

“Tribals have been neglected by successive Governments. Why tribal villages are yet to be connected with electricity and roads? Why tribal schools are running without having boundaris? Why MPLAD and MLA LAD funds are not being utilised for development of tribals?” asked Niranjan Bisi

Bisi condemned the attack on Munda and demanded that his organisatin demands immediate arrest of the BJD ZP Member.

“We have arrested ZP Member Baijayanti Saraf on the complaint of Deputy Director of Planning MN Munda,” police said.