Bhubaneswar: In view of the devastating cyclone and flood situation in South Odisha, Brahmapur MP Dr. Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy has written an urgent letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking postponement of the OPSC OES Main Examination scheduled for October 31.
In his letter, the MP said that hundreds of aspirants from Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangapur and Kandhamal districts met him at his office and also contacted him over phone, narrating their helplessness.
The MP highlighted six major reasons for postponement which includes waterlogging at exam centre in Berhampur city, complete paralysis of transport with cancellation of both private and government buses making it impossible for candidates from remote areas to reach, and IMD’s Red warning for 6 South Odisha districts and Orange warning for 16 districts of Odisha making travel life-threatening.
He further pointed out widespread power blackout and mobile network failure in the affected areas, due to which students are unable to download admit cards or get exam-related updates.
In addition, cancellation of leave of all government employees till October 31 for cyclone relief duty has made it impossible for in-service aspirants to appear, while thousands of students are facing severe mental trauma and uncertainty amid this natural calamity, the MP said.
Panigrahy urged the Chief Minister and OPSC authorities to immediately postpone the exam in the interest of safety and justice for thousands of meritorious students of South Odisha and announce a new date after the situation normalises.
“Urgent appeal to Hon’ble CM @MohanMOdisha, In view of the persistent devastation caused by Cyclone Arnab across Southern Odisha (Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal), severe flooding, power/network blackouts & bus cancellations, candidates cannot reach Berhampur exam center. Govt employees on duty also face leave cancellation till 31st Oct. Requesting immediate postponement of the OPSC OES Mains Exam scheduled for 31st Oct 2026,” wrote Panigrahy on his X handle.
