Rayagada: Coming late to duty turned out to be embarrassing for several district-level officers in Odisha's Rayagada on Monday, as the Collector barred their entry into the public grievance hearing for failing to arrive on time.

First Grievance Hearing of the Year

The incident took place during the first district-level public grievance redressal programme of the year, held at the Zilla Parishad conference hall at the district headquarters. The hearing was scheduled to begin at 10 am, and District Collector Ashutosh Kulkarni reached the venue on time.

However, many senior district-level officers were absent when the programme began, which immediately drew the attention of the Collector.

Strict Instructions Issued

Taking a serious view of the delay, the Collector directed security personnel and staff not to allow late-arriving officers into the grievance hearing hall. Even the Rayagada Sub-Collector was reportedly denied entry for arriving late.

Among those stopped from entering were the District Excise Superintendent, District Panchayat Officer, District Social Security Officer, District Social Welfare Officer, District Information and Public Relations Officer, Rayagada BDO, an Assistant Conservator of Forests, officials of the Rural Drinking Water Supply department and several others.

Officers Forced to Wait Outside

Due to the Collector’s order, the officers were forced to wait in the nearby Innovation Cell, creating an uncomfortable situation for them. Despite the grievance hearing continuing for over an hour, the officers remained outside the hall.

Message of Accountability

The collector took this step in line with the BJP-led state government’s directive to give top priority to public grievances and to take strict action against officials showing negligence in such programmes.

The firm action sent a strong message among government officers in the district, creating a sense of caution and accountability.

Public Support for Collector’s Move

Many grievance petitioners present at the venue were seen supporting the Collector’s decision, saying strict discipline among officials was necessary for effective redressal of public complaints.