BJD MP Baijayant Panda on Saturday again hit out at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, this time on the issue of frequent transfers of Collectors of Kendrapada district, which he has been representing in lok Sabha since 2009.
In the latest transfer made on Friday, Mralidhar Mallick was shifted from the district after a stint of only five months. His predecessor had been transferred after even a shorter of incumbency, a mere two months.
In fact, Kendrapada has seen as many as 12 Collectors in as short a period as eight years. Interestingly, these are the eight years Panda is the MP of the area.
No wonder, Panda Twitted. “Kendrapada gets its 12th Collector in the 8 yrs since 2009 when i became MP, avg tenure 8 months, half the (already dismal) nat’l avg!”
Politically significantly, Panda’s resentment has been echoed by a senior Congress leader of the district, former Minister Ganeswar Behera, who stated that such quick changes in the Collector postings has been adversely affecting developmental works in the area.
However, seasoned BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb, apparently on the defensive under the circumstances, merely posed a question whether anyone can explain what developmental measures have been hit by the Government’s administrative decision of Collectors’ transfers.