Death Of Student Scalded By Hot Dal In Odisha: Headmistress, WEO Suspended; Show Cause To District Welfare Officer

Bhubaneswar: Couple of days after the death of a Class VIII student, scalded by piping hot dal, the Odisha government on Tuesday suspended Welfare Extension Officer (WEO), Koida block, Bikash Ranjan Naik, and headmistress of Dengula High School in Sundargarh district Carmela Bilung.

The Sundargarh District Welfare Officer (DWO) has also been issued a show-cause notice. “It is reported that the child was helping the cook in the kitchen for which he sustained burn injuries and died while under treatment. This speaks of laxity in supervision and monitoring of the hostels and mess management in the district on your part for which the subordinate staff like WEO. Headmistress and CCAs failed to perform their duties diligently,” ST/SC Development Secretary Roopa Roshan Sahoo said in her letter to the DWO.

He has been asked to reply as to why action should not be initiated against him, in three days.

The student, Gelet Hanhaga, died on Sunday night after he suffered burn injuries while shifting the utensil containing hot dal from the stove on March 6. He was taken to Koida community health centre and then shifted to Rourkela Government hospital, where he breathed his last.

The DWO reached the school, situated in Koida block and run under SC&ST Development Department, on Monday and started an inquiry into the death of the student.

The WEO and headmistress have been posted in the office of the Sub Collector, Bonai, and asked not to leave the headquarters without obtaining prior permission of the officer.