Even after the lapse of a year, the report of the committee probing the incident of firing in Namtara village in Kendrapada district on the International Women’s Day last year is yet to be finalized.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered an inquiry by the Revenue Divisional Commission (RDC) Central Division soon after the incident.
However, the RDC has so far not recorded any statement from any witness in the case. Ironically, no action has been taken against any official in this case so far.
Interestingly, the RDC Central Division is handled as additional charge of RDC Northern Division. Ironically, the Central Division, being an important division, comprising 10 coastal districts, is going without a full-fledged RDC.
Notably, the police had resorted to firing in Namtara when the locals indulged in violence and clashed with police demanding removal of a liquor shop in the village.
The villagers were agitated when their repeated pleas to close the liquor vending went unheeded despite protests of the women self help groups who apprehended threat to the security of women and girls in the village from rowdy elements.
Seven women, including two school girls, were seriously injured in the firing incident. The incident created huge furor across the state and virtually all the political parties had condemned it.