Berhampur: Several government officials have been injured after they were allegedly attacked by villagers at Budighati in Ganjam district during a crackdown against illegal liquor trade, police said.
Acting on inputs, a 40-member team of the excise, revenue department and police launched the operation in the tribal-dominated village in Jarada area Saturday, they said.
Upon their arrival, around 100 villagers allegedly pelted stones and bamboo, while some others threw hot water at them, Excise Superintendent Ramendra Nayak said.
At least a dozen personnel of the team, including Patrapur ‘tahasildar’ Amit Nayak, Excise Superintendent Mihir Sethi and a female official were injured and taken to hospital, police said.
Some government vehicles were also vandalised, they said.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) has urged the Ganjam district administration to take action against the culprits.
In a memorandum to District Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida, the OAS strongly condemned the incident and urged immediate arrest of the people involved in it.
Parida assured that the guilty would be apprehended.
“Patrolling has been intensified in the area and we are in the process of identifying the suspects,” a police officer said.
PTI
