Rayagada Collector’s Score Card:Confined to Inaugurations,Orders,Webinars, tweets, Social Media Messages
Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, July 2: Rayagada, as an aspirational district, has excelled in the context of parameters fixed by Niti Ayog, GOI. The parameters seem to be statistical juggleries, as in ground zero the scenario is completely different. There are scores of issues like illegal sand trafficking from river beds of Bansadhara & Nagabali by sand mafias in connivance with the revenue officials. The administration is yet to have a dialogue with the denizens of Gunupur, who are resisting against the order of Bansadhara tribunal. The tribunal order, which has given a green signal to initiate Neridi barrage in AP, is detrimental to Gunupur area as several villages and crop fields will be inundated. After receiving a memorandum, the district administration has washed of its hands.
“There are number cases of violation of MGNREGA from different block of Rayagada where machines have replaced the labourers. The mega plan by the zilla parishad to rehabilitate migrant labourers is just an eye wash.The district labour office has not even given previous year’s corona incentives to construction workers. Many construction workers are waiting for their registration in the labour office. While the Collector is busy having meetings with Merchants Association having big business people & liquor tenderers, the leaders of street and mobile vendors, plumbers, carpenters, masons, borewell mechanics, porters in bus stand & railway station, bus drivers & helpers, etc are forgotten. Administration has not paid any attention towards this labour class, who are under extreme duress”, said Sri Jogeswar Das, President of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangha, Rayagada.
There are other development issues like paddy procurement in mandis, inaccessibly of still more than 800 villages for which serious patients and pregnant women are still carried in slings. No attention has been paid towards sheer drinking water crisis in many villages.
“There is fear psychosis among forty villages situated beside the banks of river Nagavali, which is changing its path and may wipe away all these villages. But Collector Saroj Mishra is infected with “I am not aware” syndrome when asked for any sort of clarification, said Sri Rabindra Patakhandal, Convenor, RTI campaign.
Though there is a sheer development deficit in the district Mishra is happy with his inauguration of several events, orders pertaining to Covid, webinars, tweets, messages in social media. Last June month report card of the Collector mentioning important activities can be corroborated with the information provided by District Information & Public Relation Office, Rayagada.
The month started with inauguration of a 50 bedded Covid Care Centre(CCC) in Utkal Alumina Company, Doraguda, Tikiri, Kashipur. A senior scribe named Sri Rajesh Pattanaik has raised his concerns about the intention of inauguration of this CCC twice, this time by officiating collector Sri Saroj Mishra and previously his predecessor Sri Pramod Kumar Behera. On 2nd June inauguration of Gaon Amba Pasara(Village Mango Haat) near Collector’s office in collaboration with ORMAS was done.In spite of this distress sale continued in Kashipur and other blocks of Rayagada. Orders were issued for a micro-containment zones in Muniguda & Kolnara.
On 4th inauguration of a plantation program in Prem Pahad on the eve of World Environment Day in collaboration with OSPCB. The reason for celebrating this day on 4th instead of 5th is best known to the Collector. Vowed to plant 1000 saplings during ensuing July. For last few years thounds of plants are being planted in different events by different institutions; but still the hill is barren except few plants existed naturally. After issuing an order for micro-containment zone in Gudari, a webinar with ADM, BDOs, Tehsildars, CDPOs and health officials regarding Covid-19 & black fungus is conducted. On 5th, inauguration of Covid Awarenesses Rath is done in the premises of Collectorate in collaboration with UNICEF. 6th sees a tweet for vaccination of slots for 18-44 yrs. Then a video message from his chamber regarding this in social media followed by an order for micro-containment zones in Rayagada and Padmapur blocks. On 7th he inaugurates the vaccination programs for 18-44 years at UGMIT & Ashok Kalyan Mandap followed by a webinar with BDOs and Sarapanches regarding Covid-19.
During 2nd week he moves to AP-Odisha cross border point at Kerada. Though Rayagada police is very active at all cross border points, Collector’s visit to these points is viewed as passing time.Order for micro-containment zones in Ramanaguda block. Third week witnesses passing of order for micro-containment zones in Rayagada and Kolnara blocks and order for partial lock down in the line of state order. Monitoring is done to see adherence of Covid guidelines in Rayagada town by walking on main road of the town along with SP. Order for micro-containment zones in Bissam Cuttack block follows. Discussion with members of Merchant Association of Rayagada town is done. Issues order for micro-containment zones in Bissam Cuttack block. Visits Sikarpai High School for including it into the ambit of 5T. Readying it for future inauguration. Visits Sindurghati, Sunger villages of Kashipur block to. review development programmes.
During 4th week he accompanies Planning Board Vice-chairman to inaugurate vaccination program of Dangaria tribe youth at Chatikona. Attends virtual inauguration of Oxygen plant at DHH by CM Naveen Pattanaik. Conducts a webinar for 73rd Zilla Parishad meeting. Inaugurates a child vaccination programme at District Headquarters Hospital Rayagada followed by Monitoring Swadhar Gruha at Rayagada. Then issues order for partial lock down in the line of state order though cut-paste mode.
This is the score card Mishra of only one month. Though there is an office order that district level officers including Collector will visit blocks and spend six nights there to review development activities, visit a nearby village for reality check of implementation of govt schemes, Mishra has violated the guidelines. He seems to be undaunted as far as development of villages is concerned in the plea of Covid-19. According to a senior govt official maintaining anonymity, Mishra, a promotee, having this prized post, bears this attitude just because he has been graced by the third floor and he is well aware that he has already reached the pinnacle of his career. Lots of development activities can be initiated under his leadership as the district has now a team of good officers.
