Chhattisgarh: Baghel kicks off constituency-wise interaction drive; suspends civic official for negligence in duty

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday kicked off his constituency-wise public interaction drive from the state's tribal-dominated Balrampur district and interacted with villagers to evaluate the status of his government's schemes.

On receiving a complaint from an elderly woman during the drive regarding a ration card, Baghel immediately ordered the suspension of the chief municipal officer (CMO) of Kusmi Nagar Panchayat there for alleged negligence.

The chief minister accompanied by the state's Urban Administration Minister Shivkumar Dahariya left from Raipur at around 11.15 am in a helicopter and reached Kusmi Nagar Panchayat in Samri Assembly constituency on the first day of campaign titled, 'Bhent Mulaqat Abhiyaan', a government official here said.

The constituency is located over 400 km away from capital Raipur in Surguja division.

On learning about his arrival, people, particularly children and youth, gathered out of curiosity to see the helicopter and the chief minister and also to raise their grievances.

After landing in Kusmi, Baghel directly went to the local police station and performed rituals at Shri Ram Janki Temple there, after which he interacted with the police personnel and their families, the official said.

The chief minister visited a fair price shop, where during interaction with beneficiaries, he came to know from a local villager that her name was excluded from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) list and she does not have a ration card, he said.

Taking serious cognisance of the complaint, Baghel instructed the district collector to suspend the CMO of Kusmi Nagar Panchayat, he said.

Baghel said that strict action will be taken against officials for negligence in work despite being repeatedly instructed and issued a warning.

As per the chief minister's instructions, the urban administration and development department immediately issued the suspension order for CMO S K Dubey, he added.

During his visit, Baghel was seen walking along with children on the streets of Kusmi, where he also held chaupal to interact with locals, and he also visited the nagar panchayat office and the government-run Swami Atmanand English Medium School there.

Meanwhile, Baghel also made several announcements for Kusmi, including the establishment of potato and chilli processing plants and new ITI building. The chief minister later left for Shankargarh town in the constituency.

Baghel will cover all 90 Assembly constituencies in the state as a part of the campaign and make surprise visits to at least three villages in each segment.

According to political analysts, the chief minister's campaign is crucial for the ruling Congress in the wake of the state Assembly polls due next year and it would also be a litmus test for bureaucrats.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)