Tension prevailed at a Gram Sabha at Iswarpur panchayat under Rajnagar block following locals protested the husband of the sarpanch presiding over the meeting in the absence of the latter. Sarpanch Bijayalaxmi Jena was to organise the gram sabha on Monday for discussing the socioeconomic survey that was held in 2011 at the panchayat and providing an opportunity to the people of the panchayat to register their complaints if any.
About 100 residents of Iswarpur panchayat came to attend the gram sabha, but they found sarpanch Bijayalaxmi to be absent, while her husband Adeitya Kumar Jena presiding over the meeting. When Adeitya asked the locals to give their signature in the proposal that was discussed and decided in the gram sabha, tension erupted as the locals quizzed him why they would sign when the sarpanch was absent. The gram sevak was forced to cancel the meeting.
It may be noted here that earlier on January 26, the proposed gram sabha was postponed as the sarpanch skipped it. locals alleged that the sarpanch remained absent in most of the gram sabhas and her husband was interfering in most of the Government sponsored programmes. later, the locals brought the matter before the BDO of Rajnagar. When contacted, tehsildar-cum-in-charge BDO of Rajnagar Khirod Behera informed that he was going to conduct an inquiry.