Upright official Deba Dash seeks retirement

BDA Enforcement Officer Deba Prasad Dash has sought voluntary retirement after being suddenly transferred in the wake of the partial demolition of what is known as the Patsani mutt at Khandagiri here on March 7. Dash, an upright officer, has reportedly written to the Chief Secretary through the BDA Vice-Chairman seeking to be relieved of his job as an Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer.

Expressing anguish at being transferred six times in the last four years, Dash said he had always discharged his duties with honesty and sincerity since he joined Government service in 1992 and had even got ‘outstanding’ rating as an officer. Despite doing a commendable job as the BDA Enforcement Officer in the last one and a half years, he had been transferred ‘intentionally’, he is said to have pointed out to the Chief Secretary.

Notably, the BDA enforcement authorities, despite all odds, had succeeded in razing a portion of the Patasani mutt allegedly encroached by local BJD MP Prasanna Patasani. The Government has claimed that Dash’s transfer to the BMC as Deputy Commissioner (Recovery) was a routine departmental transfer and he would continue to carry forward his earlier role in the new capacity too. But there are very few takers for the Government’s convoluted argument.

The transfer followed by the resignation of Dash seems to have removed the thorn in the flesh of the city’s encroachers and their godfathers.

Visitors have started gathering again at the mutt purportedly used for Janata Darbar (grievance cell) of Patasani. Patsani’s supporters are convinced that the mutt is safe now.