Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 3:

Hours after the Amala Sangha called off its pen-down strike over District Collector’s vindictive action against the ministerial staff, the Odisha government today transferred Koraput Collector Jayakumar V.

publive-image Ministerial staff's sit in dharna.

The Koraput Collector has been transferred to General Administration (GA) department. Anupam Saha currently serving as Project Director of DRDA, Bolangir has been appointed in place of Jayakumar.

Earlier in the day, a delegation led by Naresh Mohapatra met Chief Minister’s secretary at the state secretariat following which the association decided to call off its stir.

“We withdrew out strike after getting assurance from the government that three of our demands will be met within 48 hours,” Mohapatra said.

The Odisha Rajaswa Amala Sangha (ORAS) and the District Collector had been on the collision course after suspension of 11 ministerial staff in connection with grant of permission for landing to a helicopter used by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Borigumma in Koraput district during campaigning for Panchayat polls last month.

Though the suspensions were revoked on February 28 after much hue and cry, the body continued with their stir.

On Wednesday, a BJP delegation had also met Governor S C Jamir demanding immediate suspension of Koraput Collector over the incident.