BJD MLA makes engineer do sit-ups

BALANGIR: A video showing the newly elected BJD MLA from Patnagarh Saroj Meher reprimanding a junior engineer allegedly for poor construction work of a road in the area has gone viral evoking strong reaction. In the video, the Patnagarh MLA is seen asking junior engineer Jaykant Sabar to do 100 sit-ups in the middle of a road for the shoddy construction work in his constituency in Balangir district.

Meher later apologised claiming that he took the action as angry public could have harmed the engineer if he did not do anything. “I am sorry for the incident. But, I was compelled to ask the engineer to do sit-ups taking into consideration the public resentment. People were angry over the poor quality of road construction and they could have harmed the engineer if I did not ask him to do sit-ups,” Meher told mediapersons.

“The situation was not under my control as the angry people demanded punishment for the erring engineer,” he said.However, disapproving the incident, Collector Arindam Dakua said a decision will be taken on the matter after Patnagarh Sub-Collector files a report. “I have sought a factual report from Patnagarh Sub-Collector on the incident. Action will be taken on the basis of the report,” he said.

Sources said the first time MLA had on Wednesday visited Belpada block where local people complained about poor construction of the Mandal-Belpada bypass. In the video clip, the engineer is seen apologising for his alleged laxity in performing his duties, but Meher does not relent. The MLA threatened the engineer with “mob thrashing”, following which the latter did sit-ups on the road.

However, Executive Engineer LN Mishra said the bypass construction work is still underway. “We will look into the complaint and make rectifications if there is a concern over the quality of construction,” he added.

Both the BJP and the Congress on Thursday criticised Meher for his action.

“If it is true, then it can be said that the MLA has taken the law into his hands. I condemn his action,” said Congress MLA from Balangir Narasingha Mishra. Senior BJP leader KV Singhdeo said the incident showed the kind of people that the BJD had chosen as its MLAs.Stating that such behaviour is not acceptable, general secretary of Paschim Odisha Adivasi Mahasangha Niranjani Bishi said this is like ‘Kangaroo Court” of the Maoists. “We will fight against such attitude of the MLA,” he said.

Meanwhile, wife of the junior engineer has filed an FIR in Patnagarh police station alleging that her husband has not come home since the incident took place. She suspected that he might have been kidnapped by the MLA. She demanded that the MLA should be arrested for torturing her husband.Meher had defeated BJP candidate KV Singhdeo by a margin of 11,028 votes in the recently concluded Assembly elections.