Bhubaneswar: A delegation of Odisha Finance Service Association (OFSA) on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Chief Secretary urging to take stringent action against the miscreants for preventing Government Officers to discharge their duty and providing security to Odisha Finance Service (OFS) Officers while on duty.
Through the memorandum, the Association apprised Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra about the recent incidents of attack and manhandling of OFS officers and other officers of the CT & GST wing of the State at Padmapur and Paikamal of Bargarh District.
Based on intelligence information and with due permission from the competent authority, Officers from State CT & GST wing were conducting inspections at different business establishments. While discharging their duties under provision enshrined in law, untoward incidents were witnessed at two places namely at Padmapur and Paikmal of Bargarh District. OFS officers were attacked by the miscreants. Even the lady officers were not spared and were misbehaved by them, it read.
On 28. 11.2022, a team led by Ashis Kumar Dash, CT & GST Officer accompanied by lady Asst CT & GST officers and police officers visited one residence cum office of Gobardhan Agrawal of Paikmal at about 4.45 PM. The person in charge prohibited the officials from discharging their duty. At around 10 PM in the night around 150 people gathered on the spot and verbally abused the officers with filthy language. They too snatched away the seized documents. In this regard one FIR has been lodged at Paikamal Police Station vide FIR No 0277 Dated 29.11.2022′
Similarly, another team led by Suranjan Sagar, CT & GST officer, Sambalpur Unit visited Jagadamba Cloth Store, Padmapur (Proprietor- Sunil Kumar Agrawal) on 28. 1L2022. During the inspection around 500 people gathered in the spot and verbally abused the officials and prohibited them from discharging duty’ FIR has been lodged at Padmapur Police Station vide FIR No 3005 Dated 28.11.2022.
Odisha Finance Service Association (OFSA) strongly condemned the barbaric activities of miscreants who have manhandled and assaulted Government employees more particularly OFS officers on duty. Collection of GST and VAT constitutes 10% of the total tax revenue of the state and the OFS officers play a vital role in the tax administration. Such incidents will demoralize the field functionaries and will affect the State’s revenue.
The OFS Association has demanded stringent action against the miscreants for preventing Government Officers to discharge their duty. They have also requested for providing safety and security to Government officials while discharging duty.
