Orissa agriculture minister Damodar Rout resigns

May 9 (PTI) Bhubaneswar, Amid speculations about a possible ministry reshuffle in Orissa, agriculture minister Damodar Rout today resigned after being asked by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to do so.
“I was asked to resign as minister and accordingly I sent my resignation letter to the chief minister,” said Rout, who was embroiled in a controversy for alleged casteist remarks made by him last year.
Though a few other ministers were also believed to have been asked to put in their papers apparently as part of the process for a reshuffle, it could not be officially confirmed.
Rout came under flak for allegedly making certain remarks about dalit leaders – Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Tarai and MLA B C Das besides some officials at a meeting in Jagatsinghpur district in August 2010, sources said.

Jagatsinghpur SP appears before caste panel

BHUBANESWAR: Jagatsinghpur superintendent of police S Debadutt Singh appeared the National Commission for Scheduled Castes in New Delhi in relation to a case against Paradeep MLA and senior BJD leader Damodar Rout for allegedly using the word 'Harijan'.

"I apprised the commission about the case and the progress of investigation," Singh told TOI over phone. "I told the commission that investigation would be expedited. I believe the commission was satisfied," he added.

The complainant, Manoj Kumar Bhoi, too, appeared before the commission and sought expeditious disposal of the case.

Bhoi had lodged a case against Rout, then agriculture minister, at Kujang police station on August 21, 2010, for allegedly uttering the word Harijan' at in a public meeting while referring to a particular group of persons. Rout had allegedly made anti-Dalit remarks against Jagatsinghpur MLA Bishnu Das, Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarei and additional district magistrate, of Jagatsinghpur, Upendra Mallick, triggering protests from scheduled caste groups.

Rout has repeatedly denied the allegations, maintaining he had not used the word in a derogatory manner.

In April, senior BJD leader and ex-minister Bishnu Das had met National Commission for SC chairman P L Punia and sought action against his arch-rival Rout for using the word "Harijan". Though partymates, Das and Rout have been at loggerheads since long. Das belongs to the SC community. 
sourced from The Times of  India 

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