Hundreds of people, including women, ransacked the Kendrapada Municipality Executive Officer’s office here while protesting non-issuance of ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Alleging that the Executive Officer failed to provide them ration cards, the agitators forcibly entered the office, ransacked furniture and office documents and even manhandled some employees. Similarly, some women agitators were manhandled by a Grade IV employee.
Notably, several denizens had on February 8 staged a hunger strike protesting against the callous and step-motherly attitude of the Municipality authorities in giving NFSA ration cards to them. Then Executive Officer Charan Behera assured that ration cards would be given to them within a month.
As the deadline ended today, eligible beneficiaries congregated near the municipality office and went on a rampage.
Being informed, a police team led by SDPO Purna Chandra Pradhan and the Kendrapara Town police station IIC Pramod Kumar lenka and local Tehsildar-cum- Executive Magistrate Pravas Kumar Behura rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.
later, DSP (Headquarters) SN Das went to the spot and discussed with the agitators in the presence some Councillors and the Executive Magistrate.
A few women, alleging that they were manhandled by a municipality employee on the Women’s Day, lodged an FIR at the Town police station and demanded action against the errant employee. The DSP assured the women that police would register a case and take action against the employee after conducting inquiry. The agitators returned only after the DSP assured that he would arrange a meeting between them and the Executive Officer to discuss their problems in detail, sources said.