In Odisha’s Bolangir district, a meeting was held last week to ‘auction’ the sarpanch job for Rs 44.1 lakh. By 5 p.m. today, the State Election Commission (SEC) has requested a factual report on the same issue.
An influential group of persons from a distant gram panchayat in Balangir district auctioned the seat of sarpanch for Rs 44.1 lakh just days before the nomination process for the panchayat elections began in Odisha.
The three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha will be contested in five phases from February 16 to 24, with nominations beginning on Monday. The results will be announced on the 26th, 27th, and 28th of February.
The alleged auction was held on Friday at a Gram Sabha meeting in Bilaisarda panchayat, Puintala block, Balangir district, in the presence of significant persons, including contractors and businesspeople from the three villages of Bilaisarda, Bandanakata, and Kasurpali. The issue was brought to the forefront on Monday, when nomination papers for sarpanchs, samiti members, and zilla parishad members were filed in the state.
Four individuals initially entered the bidding procedure, but two withdrew after one of the bidders began the call by quoting Rs 21 lakh.
Finally, contractor Sushant Kumar Chhatria, a sarpanch candidate, emerged as the highest bidder with Rs 44, 10,000.
Chatria also promised to pay Rs 44,000 for the construction of the Jagannath temple, which he will accomplish within two days.
Meanwhile, the State Election Commission (SEC) of Odisha has requested a factual report from the Collector of Balangir district by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, after learning about the occurrence from media reports (January 18).
Balangir Collector Chanchal Rana told India Today that the ADM and concerned electoral officers are conducting an investigation.
“We only found out on Monday, and we immediately launched an investigation. If a breach of Rule 41 or 42 of the GP Act is discovered, immediate action will be taken and the [Election] Commission will be notified. Action will be taken if it violates the nomination scrutiny and model code of conduct “Rana added.
According to India Today, the sarpanch job was auctioned in the previous term as well, and Rita Bariha won it by bidding Rs 7 lakhs, of which Rs 4 lakhs was sent to the temple trust’s account and the remaining Rs 3 lakh was paid in cash.
A villager who was present at the meeting, Biren Panda, told India Today, “The villagers had called for a meeting to discuss the Jagannath Temple issue. When we arrived, we discovered it was about auctioning, to which I objected, claiming it was unconstitutional, but no one listened to me.”
According to a regional media outlet, Sushant Chhatria has agreed to pay the locals Rs 44,000 for the development of the Jagannath Temple.
“I have agreed to pay on the condition that no one contests my claim.” If I am elected without opposition, I will save money on campaigning. “I’ll use that money to help develop the Village Jagannath temple,” Chhatria stated.
Prasanta Patnaik