Bhubaneswar: Who said the nationwide strike-Bharat bandh today didn’t have its share of effect on Odisha Ministers.
Yes indeed it had, as most of the Ministers preferred to commute to their offices at the Lok Seva Bhawan in other means of transport other than their official luxury cars.
While most preferred to pillion ride on motorcycles, some preferred to walk and were given a lift in a police vehicle.
“Since I had some personal work in the office I have come by bike and am doing my work,” said Steel & Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick to reporters.
Information & Public Relations Minister Raghunandan Das, who was seen and recorded on camera of pillion riding a motorcycle to Lok Seva Bhawan was in a way reluctant to disclose the means he used to reach the office.
“Biju Janata Dal hasn’t participated in the Bharat bandh. Since currently, I am a Minister I am part and parcel of the government. Therefore I am supposed to come to the office. If government employees have to come to attend the office I am too a government employee. There are several ways one can commute to the office. It can be walking, cycling, by motorcycle or by scooters. Just take it this way I have come using any of these means,” said Das.
“I have some important work in Lok Seva Bhawan. So I have come using a motorcycle. I didn’t have any problems. Earlier too when I was a Minister I used to walk down from my official quarters. I don’t have any problem,” said Commerce & Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera.
“I walked a bit of distance and was then given a lift up to here by a police vehicle,” said Minister of State (MoS) for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra.