Phulbani: Even as a school hostel matron was suspended and three others were issued show cause notice after a minor girl student and her newborn baby died, the incident triggered sharp reaction in Odisha’s Kandhamal with political parties demanding action against government officials.
Hostel matron of the residential school, Ranjita Kanhar, was suspended and headmaster, hostel superintendent and an ANM have been issued show-cause notice on Saturday, said District Welfare Officer (DWO) Seemanchal Behera.
The action has been taken based on an investigation conducted by Baliguda sub-collector Subhankar Mohapatra and further steps will be initiated after getting replies to the show cause notice, he said.
As palpable tension prevailed in the area following the incident, different social organisations, intellectuals and political parties demanded stringent action against those responsible for the entire episode.
In a memorandum to the district collector, the youth wing of BJP sought immediate steps by the administration to book the guilty. BJP Yuva Morcha’s district president Golak Kanhar said action should also be taken against the block extension officer and other government officials in the block for the incident.
The girl, a student of Class VII of the residential Rangaparu Government Girls’ School under Belaghar police limits, was found pregnant last month and accommodated at Subhadra Seva Sadan in G Udaygiri following check-up at MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur.
She developed labor pain on Thursday and was rushed to community health centre (CHC) where she gave birth to a baby boy. While the newborn died soon after, she succumbed while undergoing treatment on Friday.
It may be noted that the girl’s family members along with villagers also staged a dharna in front of Belaghar police station on Saturday alleging that negligence of district administration and doctors of the CHC led to her death. Shouting slogans against the authorities, they demanded compensation for their loss.
As tension prevailed at the police station, additional tehsildar of Tumudibandha went to the spot and tried to pacify the agitated family members of the girl. The additional tehsildar provided Rs 50,000 as compensation on behalf of the district administration and assured them of a matching amount later.
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