In view of the growing outcry over the suicide of Rayagada District Welfare Officer (DWO) Dhaneswar Prusty in his office last week, the State Government on Saturday ordered transfer of district Collector Sashi Bhushan Padhi and Project Administrator (PA), Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA) Gorachand Gamang, who are under fire for their alleged role in abetting Prusty’s extreme step. Padhi was shifted as Additional Secretary, Health while Gamang was posted as the APD, DRDA.
Jagannath Mohanty, Additional Secretary, School and Mass Education, would take over as the new Rayagada Collector, an official notification here said. The shunting out of the two officers, who have been named in Prusty’s suicide note recovered by the police, has, however, failed to assuage the opposition parties which have been clamouring for their arrest. leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingha Mishra said, “Instead of taking action against the Collector, the Government has merely transferred him and that too to a prized post. We condemn the revengeful attitude of the Government and demand a CBI inquiry into the case.”