2013 a ‘dark year’ for state: Singhdeo

OST Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Jan 1:

Training his guns on the state government led by Naveen Patnaik, state BJP president KV Singhdeo today said 2013 was a ‘dark year’ for the state, which witnessed numerous cases of atrocities on women, investment scams and farmers tragedies.

Calling upon the people of the state to fight against corruption and injustice in 2014, Singhdeo highlighted 10 incidents of the previous year, including the death of Tikiri lady teacher and a 14-year-old girl from Mahakalapada, which he said would remain a blot in the white kurta of chief minister Patnaik.

Citing the recent case of Pranati Das of Rambha, who was burnt to death after being stabbed, the BJP leader said while the state witnessed a series of cases of rape and murder of women throughout the year, the government has shifted its responsibility by announcing some ex gratia in each case.

Singhdeo accused the state government of attempting to sweep under the carpet the case of lady school teacher at Tikiri in Rayagada district, who was burnt to death by some miscreants, by paying Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of the victim.

Demanding a CBI probe into the killing of the teacher, he blamed the government for not being able to provide safety to her even though she had approached every authority from the local to the state level citing the threat to her life.

Singhdeo listed a host of cases to press his point about women’s safety. Citing the rape and murder of a Plus Three student of Barpali College, whose body was found under mysterious circumstances on the outskirts of her village Barlabahal, he said her family was assisted with only Rs 10,000. A visually challenged girl was allegedly abducted, raped and murdered on the outskirts of Puri town. A Plus-III student was killed near Barpali level crossing in Bargarh district. Another 16 Year minor girl, an orphan, was abducted and raped in Rayagada. Later, she committed self- immolation and died, said Singhdeo in a statement.

Citing another instance of minor rape, he said a 14-year-old girl from Mahakalapada died at the Capital Hospital after being raped and then set on fire by two youths.

“Between January to December in 2013, more than 1500 rape cases have been registered in the state causing a serious dent in the image of the state. It seems law and order in the state is in a completely mess,” said Singhdeo.

Raising the plight of farmers, the BJP leader said one Ruturaj Dalai (55) of Gurandi village of Gajapati district and Suadam Pradhan (40), a resident of Manikpur village of Subarnapur district allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticides on December 11 and 13 respectively.

A farmer Bije Thapa (50) and his son Thabir Thapa (27) attempted to commit suicide by consuming pesticides due to crop failure and debt burden in Debgadtikra village in Bargarh on Dec 28.

He also raised the multi-crore chit fund and mining scam, on which the government has adopted a dilly dallying policy in taking action against the offenders.