Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Politicians I funded are after me now: Sarkhel

Politicians I funded are after me now: Sarkhel

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Dec 23, 2011   modified Modified on Dec 23, 2011
-The Times of India
 
Bapi Sarkhel, in the eye of a storm since the December 14 violence near Poscoproject site in Jagatsinghpur, said on Thursday certain politicians seeking his arrest had benefited from him in the past, but turned against him as they saw him as a threat. Police has booked him on charges of fomenting trouble in the proposed Posco steel plant site and attacking anti-land acquisition villagers in the December 14 violence that left one dead and several injured.

In an exclusive interview to TOI over telephone, Sarkhel said he was not absconding but stayed away from Paradip as he "had not expected such a situation". "I am mentally preparing myself to face all eventualities," Sarkhel said. He said Duryodhan Swain, who was killed in the clash, was his supporter. "The anti-industry group led by Narayan Reddy is responsible for Swain's killing, but police is not arresting the killers but has booked me," he added.

Sarkhel is allegedly the dummy owner of Paradeep Paribahan Private Limited (PPPL), the agency which has taken up work of the controversial coastal road project connecting Posco site with Paradip. Sarkhel, however, said he has no link with PPPL and owns only one company, which gives heavy machines on hire. "Six years ago I formed the Paradip-Erasama Industrial Development Council to work for industrialization. I have nothing to do in particular with Posco or Indian Oil Corporation. People in Jagatsinghpur support me because I have facilitated jobs for thousands of youths in different projects. Politicians are upset because I asked companies to give employment to locals, instead of giving extortion amounts to them. They can no more arm-twist companies because of me," he claimed.

Legislators, cutting across party lines, have been demanding Sarkhel's arrest, accusing him of being a "criminal", "mafia" and "tender-fixer". BJD MLAs Damodar Rout, Bishnu Das and Debashis Samantray have questioned his antecedents and alleged he is linked with top cops and administrators. Rout alleged Sarkhel has powerful political patrons, who ensured he called the shots in Paradip and adjoining areas.

Sarkhel described the charges as "baseless" and "politically motivated". "Over the years, the very politicians who are speaking against me now have benefited from me. I have funded them during elections. I challenge them to come to Puri's Jagannath temple and swear they did not benefit from me," he said. "Rout inaugurated my office at Paradip in 2006. I organized political rallies for him. After he was removed from the ministry, he asked me to oppose Posco, but I refused to do it. Thereafter, he has been gunning for me," he added.

Thirty-eight-year-old Sarkhel admitted he has "political ambitions" and has been working in that direction. "Through my efforts I have gained popularity not only in Paradip, but Jagatsinghpur district. Rout is sworn enemies with Das and Samantray, but they are together in portraying me in a bad light because all three are afraid I might be a threat to their political careers. All three have high stakes in Paradip, hence they do not tolerate my growth," he maintained.

"I have no political patrons, though I want to be in politics. I am yet to decide which party to join. With the kind of support I have in Paradip, had I been in politics people would have called me a leader. Because I am not politically affiliated, politicians are painting me as a mafia," he said.

Sarkhel denied he has "private army", hired armed guards from Thailand or built rooms for Paradip police. "In Jagatsinghpur, wherever I stand a crowd forms. If they call that a private army, what can I say?" he boasted. "My life is in danger, hence I have hired private guards. But there is no one from Thailand. Police had given me a PSO because they had inputs I was not safe. The PSO was withdrawn two months back," he added.

Sarkhel, a native of Sundergarh, said he moved to Paradip in 1995 to build staff quarters for an oil company. "If I am a criminal, how come there was no police complaint against me for 16 years? Why did Rout inaugurate my office? Why nobody said anything against me all these years?" Sarkhel said.

On whether he had ever met CM Naveen Patnaik or BJD MP Pyari Mohapatra, Sarkhel said, "I have never met either of them." He further said he has a "good rapport" with IAS officerPriyabrata Patnaik, who was recently removed from CMD, Idco, as "I was for industrialization and Priyabrata wanted Posco to come up". "Any officer who would try to push the Posco project would need local support. We were supporting Posco. That is how I know Priyabrata, nothing more," Sarkhel said.


The Times of India, 22 December, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Politicians-I-funded-are-after-me-now-Sarkhel/articleshow/11210228.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close