When Odisha Jan Morcha chief Pyarimohan Mohatra applied for permission to hold a rally in Brahmapur, the Brahmapur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and local administration tried their level best to restrict his move.
But even in the cosmopolitan Rourkela, the SAIl-run Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), district administration and Rourkela Municipality together denied permission to Mohapatra's party to hold a rally at Rourkela on April 17.
OJM Sundargarh Committee convenor Sukru Bibhar told on Sunday that after OJM was converted to a political party, it was decided to hold the first rally at Rourkela. Accordingly, the party had applied for permission to have it at the Telephone Ground, Sector-6 to ADM, Rourkela on April 9. But on April 12, the ADM cited that on the same day one Basudev Nayak had applied to the DGM (TS), SAIl to celebrate Biju Jayanti. That is why apprehending law and order situation, the ground will not be allotted to any one.
Bibhar further said Biju Jayanti is on March 5 which is a Government holiday, where as OJM rally was to take place on April 17. Secondly, one can not apply to SAIl directly for field permission. Thirdly, the address given in the application G-160, Sector-6 by Basudev Nayak is false as it is allotted to one RSP employee Ratnakar Kujur. Fourthly, the mobile number mentioned by Basudev Nayak actually belongs to another RSP employee Gandharba Nayak, who happens to be the lathikata Block representative of Minister Subrat Tarai. So before denying permission, both the RSP authority and district administration should have verified the genuineness of the application and the applicant, Bibhar said.
OJM spokesman Chitta Pattanaik said after getting negative reply from the ADM, the party contacted EO, Rourkela Municipality and after getting verbal clearance, the party applied for field permission at Uditnagar parade ground. But surprisingly, after four hours of submitting the application, the EO informed them that he was helpless to requisition the ground as another party had already applied to the civic body's chairperson for venue to have an event. "The Rourkela Municipality chairperson is a BJD leader. How can one directly apply for ground permission to the chairpersonIJ So this is clear conspiracy not to allow OJM rally at Rourkrla. The OJM will protest this and hold a demonstration in front of the ADM Rourkela office from Monday till ground permission to hold the rally is given," Pattnaik asserted.