Odisha Panchayat polls: 57 govt officials suspended

Jajpur District Election Officer-cum Collector Ranjan Kumar Das today suspended 57 government officials for not joining duty in the ensuing panchayat election.
"The suspended officials include 22 presiding officers, 13 first polling officers, 21 second polling officers and lone third polling officer," officials sources said.
"These officials had been deployed to conduct both first and second phase of elections but they did not turn up for duty. Hence, they were suspended for disobeying orders," Das said.
"Prior to their suspension the officials were issued show cause notices for disobeying orders on February 8, but it yielded no result," he said.

The Collector said the authorities of the suspended officials have been asked to take disciplinary action and frame charge against them for disobeying the order.