Voters List: PDO, village worker suspended

BALASORE: A Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) and a village-level worker (VLW) of Baliapal block have been suspended for alleged irregularities in the new voters’ list. While PDO Saroj Das and VLW of Anladiha panchayat Harihar Khalapalia have been placed under suspension, the collector has recommended transfer of the BDO.The panchayat officials of Baliapal block had allegedly included names of high school students and under-age boys and girls  in the voters’ list being prepared for the ensuing panchayat election. The irregularities were reported from Dagara, Pratappur, Betagadia and Anladiha panchayats.While Khalapalia had prepared a fresh list of 370 voters in Anladiha, 160 more names were reportedly added to it at the block office. Though Khalapalia denied involvement in the fraud, a probe conducted by DRDA Project Director Anjan Kumar Manik found him guilty along with the PDO.Collector Akhila Bihari Ota said though he cannot alter the  voters’ list as it has already been sent to the Election Commissioner, he ordered the probe following a number of petitions.