Bhagirathi Behera is not the president, and his criticism of the Odisha government is personal: SOWA

Surat : The Surat Odiya Welfare Association (SOWA) has clarified that Bhagirathi Behera is not the president of SOWA and that his statement to the reputed national English daily ‘The Indian Express’ during Odisha Labour Minister Srikanta Sahu’s visit for the inauguration of a labour assistance centre at Pandesara in Surat on April 1, 2023 may have been made in his personal capacity.

According to the newspaper report, Bahera claims that the Odisha government is acting in preparation for the Assembly elections next year.

Dusmanta Barada, Joint Secretary of SOWA, stated in a letter to The Blunt Times that Mr. Bhagirathi Behera is not the current president of SOWA and that his statement may be his personal opinion. Behera’s statement has nothing to do with SOWA.

“As a social and cultural organization, we applaud the Odisha government’s decision to establish a labour assistance centre in Surat, which will benefit our migrant Odiya brothers and sisters in a variety of ways.” They (Odiya migrants) work as daily wagers in various textile units and other unorganised sector establishments, and the facility provided by the Odisha government will assist them in obtaining various welfare measures,” said Barada.

According to Barada, on November 23, 2022, a SOWA representative body led by its general secretary Ajay Biswal met with Srikant Sahu, Odisha’s Minister of Labour and ESI, during his visit to Surat. SOWA president Bideshi Sahu, general secretary Ajay Biswal, vice president Chitrasena Padhi, and joint secretary Dusmanta Barda met with labour department secretary and other senior officials from the Government of Odisha at Surat Circuit House on April 1, 2023.

The SOWA team congratulated the Odisha government’s decision and invited the entire team, along with the Minister of Labour and ESI, to the Utkal Divas celebration function on April 1, 2023, at Jagganath Mandir ground in Sachin.