The district administration at Sambalpur has undergone a major reshuffle. After the transfer of the collector of Sambalpur, Mr Pradipta Kumar Patnaik, to health department in the state capital, Mr Hemanta Kumar Dash has joined as the new collector. The police department also underwent simillar reshuffle.
“My first duty will be to see that the people of the district particularly the neglected mass get the benefit of the welfare schemes,” said Mr Dash the collector in an exclusive interview with The Statesman.
"Lot of things need to be done for this Maoist prone district. Hence a pro-people administration can only help solve problems," he said.
“As a resident of the neghbouring district, I am also interested in the development of this district and its people in all fronts,” he said.
Mr Asit Kumar Panigrahi the new SP is also a man with a vision. His fluency in Sambalpuri language needs appreciation, no doubt. He not only knows the language but also mastered it during his student career in OUAT Chipilima in the nineties. “This is my fifth posting in a Maoist prone district. Hence I take it as a challenge. There is no point for complacency in police department as it faces new problems everyday,” said Mr Panigrahi. More so, rapid industrial growth has given rises to new problems here also, he said.
Mr Panigrahi recalled that when he was hard on the rehabilitation and resettlement policy, the industrial houses didn’t take it easily. "In their meetings, they sarcastically abbreviated R&R to be Rote Raho (go on crying)," Mr Panigrahi said.
“But police always will be in the right side of the law,” Mr Panigrahi asserted. “I have already ventilated my sentiment to my staff. I will tolerate no indiscipline,” he said.
Another senior officer Mr RP Koche has also joined here as the deputy inspector general (DIG) of police for the northern range comprising five districts. Mr Koche has got a vast experience on Sambalpur since he was earlier posted as the ASP and SP here. He has also got a successful tenure and people here still remember him. “I will work to the expectations of the people,” Mr Koche said. “New problems sufrace everyday. Maoists menace has become an international problem. Hence, it is natural for common people to expect mere from police and we will do it,” Mr Koche said.
With change of guards in three key posts, matter doesn’t end for the fact that this vast revenue division with ten districts will also see a new face on the first day of March as the present revenue divisional commissioner (RDC) for northern division Mr Jamil Ahmad Khan will retire from this senior most post on last day of February.