In a shocking turn of events at Nirman Soudh, the nerve centre of Odisha’s Works Department, government officials were unceremoniously ousted from their seats on November 17. Court representatives swooped in, making off with office belongings and leaving the officials high and dry.
This unexpected chaos sent shockwaves through official corridors, leaving government employees perplexed about the cause behind the abrupt move by court officials. It was finally revealed that Friday’s drama was the culmination of a 40-year-old case, and the State government’s disregard of a court order. Despite numerous court communications, the government had failed to disburse ₹18 lakh owed to a contractor, resulting in the seizure of office assets.
