Bhadrak: Retailer Sridhar Sahu has been suspended in connection with an incident wherein a PDS beneficiary named Panchali Jena, a resident of Anaharpur village of Bhagabanpur panchayat under Dhamnagar block in Bhadrak, was given her quota of rice following a twitter post.
The action came following the direction of Collector Gyanaranjan Das. Sub Collector Pitambar Samal suspended Sahu.
Earlier, Sahu had been summoned to present before the Collector in person. Sahu had appeared before the Collector September 4. Finding his argument unsatisfactory, the Collector directed the Sub Collector for Sahu’s suspension.
Notably, a social activist, Santosh Mahapatra of Bhagabanpur village had brought the plight of Panchali who had been denied her quota of PDS rice to the attention of the Chief Minister, food & supplies minister, collector, district supply officer and Dhamnagar block development officer (BDO) through a tweet Monday.
The tweet had prompted Minister for Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Ranendra Pratap Swain to direct Bhadrak collector to get the veracity of the matter verified. The collector, in turn, had asked the district supply officer Mir Raja Ali to go to Panchali’s village and conduct an inquiry.
Ali and Dhamnagar BDO Manoranjan Mahapatra had investigated the allegation and found it to be true.
She was immediately given her entire backlog of 180 kilograms of rice.
PNN