Bhubaneswar, Aug. 4 -- Employees of Dhenkanal Sadar block launched a pen-down protest on Tuesday, alleging that Odisha Food Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra previously misbehaved with the local Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) during a review of irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

PEOs, Assistant Development Extension Officers (ADEOs) and Gram Rojgar Sevaks (GRSs) staged a Dharna (sit-in protest) at the block office, demanding respect for government employees and an end to political interference in administrative work.

The employees' association also sought a fair inquiry into the allegations and demanded an apology from party workers for allegedly insulting a woman PEO....