There are reports that former Works Secretary Nalini Kanta Pradhan, who took voluntary retirement and joined the BJD recently, is likely to be fielded as a party candidate from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seate, would utilise the services of a coterie of officials of the department, who are loyal to him.
Sources said the as Pradhan was the Chief Engineer of Works Department for a long time before becoming its Secretary, he can influence the local contractors and the coterie of officials to help him in the elections.
Reliable sources said the Roads and Buildings Central Circle Superintendent Ranjit Sahu and the Division -1, Division-II and Division -III Executive Engineers, R and B Cuttack Superintendent Engineer Bimal Charan Das are loyalists of Pradhan for which they are continuing posted in the same post for years.
Another close confidante of Pradhan is Sambalpur Superintendent Sanjay Kumar Sahu and Division-1 and Division-II Executive Engineers. Even though the tainted Panda Infra has been blacklisted by the State Government and debarred from all projects, it has been allowed to carry out construction of the Sambalpur flyover with the active support of Sahu and Pradhan.
The R and B Brahmapur Superintendent Engineer and Angul Rand B Executive Engineer are also known to be close to the former Works Secretary.
A section of officials of the Works Department apprehend that if these aforesaid officials continue in their presence posts, they would try to influence the elections in Pradhan’s favour. They demanded that the State Government and the Odisha Chief Electoral Officer should transfer these officials to ensure free and fair elections.
