Fake letter creates flutter

BALASORE: In an example of politicisation of bureaucracy, a senior IAS officer has asked his department to circulate the appointment of a youth BJD leader to industrial houses in Balasore district.Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Industries Department Parag Gupta has reportedly marked on a letter of BJD MLA from Remuna Sudarshan Jena to his Additional Secretary to circulate the information about the selection of one Ramesh Chandra Padhy as youth BJD president and union president of industries in Balasore district. Additional Secretary S C Naik in turn has issued letters to the Director of the Industries, the Balasore Collector and the Manager of District Industries Centre (DIC). The letter reads: “I am directed to request you to communicate the decision of selection of R C Padhy as youth BJD president and union president of industries in Balasore district to all the companies and industries in Balasore under intimation to this Department for reference.”Interestingly, Jena denied writing such a letter to the Principal Secretary. “Who is Ramesh Padhy? I don’t know him personally. He might have forged my signature and the letter pad,” he said.  The Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD), the youth wing of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), has no knowledge of Padhy. There is no office-bearer in Balasore district BYJD by such name, BYJD general secretary Bijay Nayak said. He said Jajati Das is the president of the youth wing of the BJD in Balasore.Minister for Industries, Steel and Mines Raghunath Mohanty said no person as Ramesh Chandra Padhy holds any position in the party. “I would verify with my Department officials about the letter and take appropriate action,” he said. Surprisingly, the Industries Department has circulated the letter which seems to be a forged one without finding out its authenticity. While Naik said he had written the letter as per the order, Gupta said it should not have happened. “I have to cross check what was the letter from the MLA and the letter issued from the Department. If true, it should not have happened. It may be a mistake,” he told TNIE over phone from New Delhi.Meanwhile, following the letter from the Additional Secretary issued on March 2, DIC Manager Sanatan Nayak has dispatched letters quoting the initial letter to Balasore Chamber of Industries and Commerce (BCIC), North Odisha Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) and District Small Scale Industries Association besides all the large-scale industries separately.“As the letter was from the Industries Department to circulate the decision, we did accordingly. We cannot disobey the order of our seniors,” said the DIC Manager. “We have received the letter. But how can the Government officials circulate such a letter of political selection? Are they working for the Government or a political party,” said an officer-bearer of an industries association. Jajati Das said there was no designation in the party called union president of industries.