A fact-finding team of the BJP-led by State party vice-president Samir Dey visited Brahmapur on Thursday and inquired about the corrupt practices in the public distribution system (PDS) in respect of wheat and about the reported incident of rape and subsequent murder of minor girl at Haladiapadar on the outskirts of the city.
After meeting the family members of the deceased, the team met the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Southern) and DIG (Police) at Brahmapur and held elaborate discussions on these two issues.
The other members of team are Nuapada MlA Basant Panda, party State spokespersons Sameer Mohanty and Sajan Sharma, State secretaries Biranchi Tripathy and Prabhati Parida, State Mahila Morcha president Sreemantini Jena and secretaries Pratima Mishra and Diptirekha Nayak.
During discussion, the team wanted to know why the district administration has not taken any action against the owner of Gourishankar Flour Mills in connection with wheat diversion case.
“Though licences of the contractors have not yet been renewed, but the silence of the district administration in the matter raises serious eye brows,” the team pointed out.
The members also demanded that the licences of all the contractors engaged in PDS transportation be cancelled forthwith and the erring officials of both the Civil Supply Department and district administration involved in the incident be brought under the ambience of investigation.
The proprietor of the Gourishankar Flour Mill and the transport contractors allegedly involved in the diversion should immediately be arrested to unearth the nexus, the team demanded.
Expressing serious concern over the rape and murder of a minor girl of Haladiapadar on the outskirts of the city, BJP Mahila Morcha chief Sreemantini Jena said, “It is quite shocking and unfortunate that the police have failed to nab the culprits in the rape and murder case, though one month has already passed since the incident occurred.”
The team members took the parents of the deceased to the RDC and the DIG offices. Demanding immediate arrest of culprits and security for the parents, Jena threatened that the BJP Mahila Morcha would resort to agitation if their demands are not met within a week.
They, on behalf of the BJP, handed over a cheque of Rs 11,000 to the deceased’s family as assistance.
Other party leaders who joined the team include former Assembly Deputy Speaker Rama Chandra Panda, former State BJP Yuva Morcha president Bibhuti Jena, former BMC Mayor Shivashankar Das, party’s State executive member Saroj Sabat, Udayanath Pradhan, district general secretary Sunil Kumar Sahu, Gopinath Panda, Binod Mishra, Zilla Parishad Member M Damburu Reddy, district vice-president Prabir Patra, Rakesh Sahu, district youth president Prabhat Kiran Sadangi, district secretary Rajat Pandit, Gangadhar Satapathy, Sushant Nayak, District Mahila Morcha president Babita Patra and general secretary
Itishree Panda.