Bhubaneswar: OAS Association postpones mass leave over BMC Official's assault after meeting CM Majhi

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 1 (ANI): The Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association has decided to postpone its planned mass leave protest over the assault on Ratnakar Sahoo, Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), following a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi met with the members of the Odisha OAS Association for almost an hour at 11 PM today, along with the CS, DGP, CP, and the AG, assuring them that the culprits and perpetrators behind the scenes will be strictly punished.
After CM's appeal, the mass leave was postponed by the OAS association.
"However, the state association requests that all district associations and members of the fraternity meet tomorrow and condemn the incident, along with sending a copy of the resolution to the state association. Further course of action shall be intimated by the State Association," the association said in a statement.
The OAS officers have earlier threatened to go on mass leave from July 1 to protest against the alleged assault on an official of the civic body in the Odisha capital here today.
"This is to formally inform you that the Odisha Administrative Service Association has unanimously resolved to proceed on mass leave with effect from 1 July 2025, in protest against the appalling and deplorable attack on the Additional Commissioner, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, which occurred in broad daylight within official premises," the association had said in a statement.
Earlier, the President of, Odisha Administrative Service officers association condemned the incident, describing it as "brutal and heinous".
"... The assault was brutal and heinous. It cannot be described by a civilised person. We strongly condemn it and hope the government will take strong action against the culprits... We also request the government to see that such incidents do not happen in future... We are thinking of going on a mass leave from tomorrow... Everyone will abide by the call of the state association," he said.
Bijaya Kumar Swain, General Secretary of Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association, had earlier said, "We are seriously protesting... It is highly condemnable... We have decided and are asking all district associations to take a mass leave. He (Ratnakar Sahoo) is extremely traumatised... He is an outstanding officer..."
Shivani Mohanty, Chairperson of the Welfare Board of the OAS association, said that the incident has traumatised the whole association.
"It has traumatised the whole association. We have 2000 OAS officers and we all have been disheartened by what has happened... The association has decided that we will take some strong steps. A protest is a must. Ratnakar Sahoo is traumatised. He has not sustained severe injuries but he is under medical supervision," he told mediapersons.
Some miscreants have allegedly assaulted Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Ratnakar Sahoo, inside the office of the civic body during a grievance redressal meeting today.
The Commissionerate Police have arrested three persons after registering a case in this regard.
An FIR has been registered at Bhubaneswar's Kharvelnagar Police Station. The arrested have been identified as Jeevan Rout, Rashmi Mahapatra and Debashis Pradhan.
"They shall be forwarded to the Honourable court under strict sections of law as per the FIR. Further investigation is in process. Involvement of other persons is being ascertained," Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said.
The incident has sparked a political row in the state, with the primary opposition parties in Odisha strongly condemning the assault on Ratnakar Sahoo. (ANI)