The Nuapada district BJP unit under the leadership of local MP Basant Panda has opposed the appointment of candidates of other districts in newly created 131 posts of nurses for panchayat level Covid centres in Nuapada district.
The district has already appointed 98 candidates for these posts out of which 23 candidates belong to other districts.
Through a memorandum submitted to the Collector on Tuesday, the party has demanded cancellation of appointment of other district candidates and appointment of local candidates in their place.
"When districts like Balangir and Kalahandi did not entertain candidates of other districts, why Nuapada administration opened it for candidates of other districts," asked the leaders.
In the meanwhile, the leaders of the Garib Sena, a local rights forum, have claimed that some of their leaders had been illegally detained by Nuapada police. The forum, which has been opposing the appointment of other districts' candidates in ANM posts had planned a demonstration on Tuesday.
"The district administration however didn't allow us to carry out our plan and the Nuapada police detained us the whole day. We have been denied of our democratic right," said Rabi Mangaraj of Garib Sena. The notice of the police to Rabi Mangaraj and Priyaranjan Meher, however, revealed that the leaders had been summoned to the police station in connection with some cases lodged against them previously. "The police have implicated us in false cases to pressurise us not to resort to democratic protest," alleged Mangaraj.