If there is one thing bureaucrats in Orissa are scared of it is chief minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik’s shock therapy. No one knows when they will be pulled up by the CM. A dozen officers have already been at the receiving end of Naveen’s anger. The latest victim is Orissa cadre IPS officer Vinyatosh Mishra, who is on central deputation and posted in Bokaro as DIG, Central Industry Security Force (CISF).
On Independence Day, Mishra received an invitation to a function to receive the president’s medal for meritorious service from Patnaik.
According to tradition, once the president clears the list for police medals, the ministry of home affairs announces the recipients’ names on Republic Day. On Independence Day, the chief ministers of the states concerned give away the medals to the recipients.
It is a constitutional job that the CMs carry out on behalf of the president. This year, three IPS officers of the 1993 batch of Orissa cadre were chosen. Other than Mishra, additional commissioner of police Susanta Kumar Nath, and DIG, southern range, RP Koche were on the list.
The three officers dressed up in uniform took position at Jaydev Bhawan to receive the prestigious medal from the CM. While Nath and Koche got their due, Vinaytosh — though seated in the front row — was not called to the dais. Embarrassed, Mishra lodged a complaint with the chief secretary. Mishra said he had come to Bhubaneswar from Bokaro just to receive the award.
Sources said Patnaik was annoyed as he was not informed about Mishra being nominated for the award. Mishra was the Jajpur SP during the Kalinga Nagar shootout on January 2, 2006, in which 14 tribals were killed.
The incident snowballed into a major controversy and Patnaik faced flak. Since then, the Orissa CM is upset with Mishra. As Patnaik did not want to displease the state’s tribal population, he decided not to honour Mishra.
Orissa Police tried to play down the issue. “There was some confusion,” additional DGP Prakash Mishra said. Sources said efforts were on to assuage Mishra. The award may be given to him by the CISF D-G in Delhi.
