Tension prevailed in the Kendrapada block office premises following members of two rival groups assaulted each other. However, timely intervention of the police averted further escalation in the situation.
According sources, one Akhaya Behera of Mirjapur village under Nikirai police limits in his FIR at the Kendrapada town police station alleged that he was entrusted to dig a pond under MNREGS near the Mahadev temple at Harijansahi. But the job cardholders who were engaged in the project failed to get their wages as the authority failed to provide funds.
As a result, he on Monday came to the Kendrapada block office in order to meet the BDO to know the reason behind the delay in payment. While he was returning from the BDO chamber, one Sarat Chandra Bhola of Garajanga village with the help of a few associates allegedly started an altercation with him on the block premises.
later, one Pitabash Behera of Ramnagarpatana village allegedly gave a punch on his face and pushed him for which he fell down from the block verandha, narrated Behera. Behera continued that Bhola demanded extortion money and threatened him of dire consequences in cause of default, while another Siba Biswal of Chakroda village with the help of others allegedly assaulted him after abusing him with slang language.
When contacted, SDPO Nrushingha Charan Swain stated that police have received an FIR against Kendrapada Assembly segment Youth Congress president Pitabash Behera, Block president Siba Biswal and Congress activist Sarat Chandra Bhola and registered a case against the trio under various sections of the IPC.
An inquiry is on, he informed. On the contrary, one Magei Mallick, a Congress activist of Palasingha, claimed that he lodged an FIR at Nikirai police station against some ruling BJD party supporters alleging that he along with some locals on Monday went to the block office in order to bring the matter to the notice of the BDO about the corruption in MNREGS project.
But while they were returning from the BDO chamber, Akhaya Behera along with his aides Bijay Mohanty, Prabhakar lenka, Murali Behera and Ajaya Kumar Mohanty
allegedly attacked them.
However, when contacted, Nikirai police station IIC Kiran Hembram stated that the police have not received any
complaints.