Berhampur, Sept. 1: Life was paralysed in Gajapati district as activists of the Adivasi Mahasangh today observed a dawn-to-dusk strike, demanding immediate arrest of the former district collector and a former project administrator in connection with the suicide of a nursing student on August 13.
Most of the shops, business establishments and markets in the district closed their shutters today. Buses of the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation and the private owners were off roads. Similar was the case with autorickshaws and four-wheelers.
Thousands of activists staged protests in various parts of the district. Government offices, post offices, banks, schools and colleges were also closed. Police had made security arrangements across the district.
The 21-year-old Sunita Raita of Diptinagar in R Udayagiri ended her life after failing to get her nursing student stipend despite making repeated attempts for it over the past 16 months.
In her suicide note, she had blamed the then district collector, Basudev Bahinipati, and former project administrator of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency, Gajapati, Kalyan Kumar Rath.
Following her death, the state government had shifted both Bahinipati and Rath. Later, following an outcry, the government suspended the project director.
“We are not satisfied with the transfer or suspension. Till they are arrested, we will carry on with our agitation,” said Mahasangh president of the Gajapati district unit Abraham Gamango.
“The state government has sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for Sunita’s family. We demand at least Rs 20 lakh to the family as compensation,” said Gamango.
The fault is with the state government, and instead of helping the victim’s family, the government is shielding the erring officers, he said.
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