Kendrapara, Dec 2 (LocalWire): Samarth Verma, Kendrapara’s new district collector who was recently transferred on Friday, has raised the issue of unstable tenures of the district magistrates of this coastal district.
As many as 45 collectors have been transferred in the last 27 years of the formation of the district.
The district has had 13 different collectors within the last six years.
Many locals have alleged that political motives are behind the frequent transfer of collectors.
“Kendrapara got its 45th Collector on Friday after the state government appointed Amrit Ruturaj, replacing Samarth Verma.
Frequent change of collectors affects ongoing developmental projects in the district, said Bijay Krushna Sahoo, the former chairman of Kendrapara municipality.
Samarth Verma remained the collector of Kendrapara from 21st June 2019 to 31st December 2020.
His predecessor, Prem Chandra Chaudhury, worked as the collector from 6th May 2019 to 21st June 2019, the shortest tenure of any district magistrate. Dasarathi Satapathy worked as the collector from 4th August 2018 to 5th May 2019.
Earlier, Reghu G worked as the collector from 26th April 2017 to 3rd August 2018. Muralidhar Mallick worked as the collector from 27th November 2016 to 21st April 2017. Debraj Senapati worked as the collector from April 2015 to September 2016.
“It is unjust on the part of the government to transfer collectors frequently in Kendrapara. The frequent changes in the top echelons of the district administration affect developmental works in the district.
While officers keep moving in and moving out, the problems of the people remain unattended.
Ruling party MLAs and leaders are forcing the senior officials to dance to their tunes by changing officials,” said Saroj Kanta Singh, a senior lawyer and the president of the district lawyers’ association.
LocalWire