Farmer bodies demand Naveen’s resignation in Kodala issue

…OCSA demand to stop criminalization of politics in the state

Berhampur: “Kodala incidence was not accidental case; it was the outburst of anger of the villagers, which led the violence. Though the people had given memorandum to the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police before, why did not the Government listen to them? Callousness of District administration along with the State Government is responsible for the untoward incidence in Kodala area”, said Odisha Chasi Surakhya Abhijan (OCSA) president and former central minister Braja Kishore Tripathy in a press meet organised by OCSA at circuit house here on Sunday.

The leaders include Convener of OCSA, Ganjam branch Ravi Rath, president Subash Rout, Er Lalit Mohan Patnaik, Simanchala Nahak, Brundaban Behara, Narayana Pradhan of the OCSA led by president Tripathy visited the Kodala area to meet the families of the deceased, who were killed in the police firing and met with the peoples of violence hit village Chachina, Khajapalli, Deogaon. They talked with the women, who were mercilessly beaten up by the police on the same day of police firing on July 15. They also visited the Eragola rehabilitation camp at Kalyan Mandap in Kodala. The Eragola peoples told that before the incident they had given memorandum to the district administration about their dispute with the villagers, but they have not received any response yet regarding the solution. They showed the memorandum which they had sent the copy to the district administration along with the State Government to the leaders of the OCSA.

The leaders condemned the police brutality on the villagers, especially on women near Kodala and demanded resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the untoward incidents in Kodala and a judicial enquiry into the matter. They also demanded Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the families of the deceased, who were killed in police firing in Kodala area and Rs 5 lakh for the injured persons wounded in the same police firing along with the strengthening of district administration in Ganjam. They alleged that police administration has failed to control the criminal activities and mafiaraj in the district, though the district belongs to the district of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is holding the Home Department and other three minister of the State Government. So in moral ground CM should resign from his post.

“Criminalisation of politics was another reason behind the simmering tension in Kodala area. The Kavisuryanagar constituency is totally operated by the liquor mafias with the help of ruling party, those are creating problems for the common people. Liquor business is another strong reason behind Kodala incidence”, alleged Tripathy in the press meet.

This is not the first case of the intelligence level failure of the police in Ganjam, before the incidence of Sheragada block, where the ruffians set ablaze eight people in a locked room, the murder of the Chtrapur block chairman, Sheragada Inspector clearly shows the failure of District administration along with police administration. The law and order situation of the district is degrading day by day, alleged the leaders of OCSA here.