Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly on Friday witnessed heavy pandemonium after a face-off between BJP and BJD over post-retirement appointment of officers in government offices like CMO and PMO.
During Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra raised the issue, criticizing the CMO where several retired officers are working.
He said, “The CMO has turned out to be a retired officers club. After retirement, the officers have been rehabilitated there.”
Even senior officers are being posted in the Chief Minister’s office after retirement, he said.
Mishra read out the names of such officers starting from retired Chief Secretary Asit Tripathi to a list of retired officers who have been appointed to the CMO. This should not happen in a transparent government, Mishra maintained.
Responding to Jayanarayan, BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo demanded a discussion of retired officers being posted in PMO and various ministries and states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana.
The retired officers are being appointed in every State. This is not an unconstitutional act, Sahoo said.
The former Minister further hit out at the BJP, saying that opposition leader is always wasting time of the assembly by raising non-issues. When the government is taking necessary steps for the welfare of the people, there is no need to waste time by raising unnecessary issues, Sahoo added.
Taking the name of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJD MLA said that perhaps he (Mishra) wants put Dharmendra in trouble because there are retired officers in his office.
During Sahoo’s statement, the BJP MLAs stormed into the well of the House and created ruckus. They alleged that names of non-members of the House are being taken. BJD Members stood on their seats and shouted at opposition.
Following the din, the Speaker adjourned the Assembly twice.
