Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati on Thursday raised an unusual issue in the State Assembly when he said a senior IAS officer’s wife has lodged a complaint of torture against the official before the Chief Minister. He sought to know if any action has been taken against the officer for violation of Service Code and steps to provide his wife security.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Bahinipati said the officer, who is holding a very high rank in the State Government, has been in love with a woman officer placed in Delhi and, thereby, giving mental torture to his wife, a retired college Reader. The wife had submitted a complaint in the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell on December 5, 2014 besides filing a case at the State Commission for Women in this regard, he said.
He said that as the IAS officer’s alleged conduct violates officials’ Service Code, action should be taken against him. Stating that the officer’s wife in her complaint apprehended danger to her life, Bahinipati wanted to know from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also the Home Minister, as to what steps have been taken to ensure safety and security for the woman. Though Bahinipati didn’t name the IAS officer yet
from reliable sources it is learnt that the bureaucrat is now holding an Additional Chief Secretary rank in the State Government and has reputation as an able administrator. When contacted by The Pioneer on the issue, the officer posed a question whether a “family matter” should be a “public issue”. He added, “It is better not to ask me about it.”
The officer’s wife, when asked, did not deny her charges against her husband but said she does not want to talk about it in public. It seemed she is thinking of taking some measures on the issue before coming out in the open now. The woman, who took voluntary retirement as a college teacher some years ago, is known for her erudition in Oriental studies.