Amid attacks from the opposition parties in the Assembly and protests by the Odisha Clerks’ Association across the State, the State Government on Friday finally transferred controversial Koraput Collector-cum-District Magistrate Jayakumar V.
The development came hours after a delegation led by association secretary Naresh Mohapatra met the Secretary to Chief Minister here demanding, among other things, immediate removal of the Collector from Koraput. Balangir PD DRDA Anupam Shah was appointed as the new Koraput DM. Jayakumar V was asked to report to the General Administration Department.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Clerks’ Association withdrew its ongoing cease-work stir but threatened to resume agitation if their other demands, revocation of suspension and transfer order on 11 Koraput Collectorate employees, are not addressed at the earliest.
The dispute erupted after Jaykumar V suspended a Collectorate employee for granting permission for the landing of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s helicopter in the district for panchayat poll campaigning last month.
later, the Collector suspended eleven more employees on charges of dereliction of duty. The clerical employees of the Collectorate were on a cease-work agitation for last 11 days.