Odisha government suspends officer over stone quarry blast

Bhubaneswar:The Odisha government on Wednesday suspended a tehsildar in Rayagada district in connection with a blast at a stone quarry which had claimed the lives of three workers.

The government suspended Gunupur tehsildar Laxminarayan Sabat, an Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer, with immediate effect.

During the period of suspension, the headquarters of Sabat shall be at Collectorate, Rayagada and he shall not leave the headquarters without obtaining the prior permission of the Collector, said an order of the Revenue department.

Earlier, Rayagada District Collector Pramod Kumar Behera recommended disciplinary action against the Gunupur tehsildar for allegedly not taking action against illegal stone quarrying at Okilguda.

The Collector has also issued show-cause to two Sadar revenue inspectors (RIs). Besides, the district administration has already suspended Gunupur assistant revenue inspector Anup Kumar Martha.

Three labourers, including a woman had died while six others were injured in the blast that occurred last week at the stone quarry.