25 March 2010

Collector invokes statute, sacks headmaster

NABARANGPUR: In a rare case, Nabarangpur District Collector Roopa Mishra on Friday invoked Article 311(2)b of the Constitution and sacked the jailed headmaster, accused of sexual exploitation of girls in a Sevashram School. This comes a day after the Crime Branch began its probe here. Pradipta Kumar Sahu, headmaster of Sevashram School at Bada Aambda under Kosagumunda block of the district run by the ST and SC Development Department, allegedly exploited the tribal girl students and one of them became pregnant. As it came to light recently, a rattled State Government ordered a CB inquiry. Exercising this discretionary power before the probe is a rarity. On March 2, the allegation was made before the Collector. The administration rushed a squad to the school. One of the four abused girls was found pregnant during medical examination. Sahu was suspended and arrested while three others __ a temporary teacher and two cooks __ were disengaged. In her order, which was served to Sahu in jail here on Friday, Mishra charged that the headmaster, by way of taking advantage of his official position, has committed a heinous act on minor girls who were under his care and custody. The departmental proceeding usually takes time and there is every possibility of the accused intimidating the victim girls and their families, the order said. The Collector, while taking the action, relied on a Supreme Court judgment. Meanwhile, the Crime Branch team, led by a DSP, arrived here on Thursday and has started the probe.

BJP PRESIDENT BARED TO VISIT RIGHAR

Oram barred from visiting Raighar BHUBANESWAR: The bar on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president Jual Oram’s visit to Raighar by the Nabarangpur district administration has evoked sharp criticism. Oram was to attend the funeral of Ghanashyam Gond, assistant teacher with Biripur UP School in Raighar. Gond was brutally murdered recently and a volatile situation prevails in the region after the incident. However, the BJP leader today said he would head to the area despite ban by the district administration. The government will be responsible for any kind of consequences if he is stopped from proceeding. The District Collector of Nabarangpur, in an order yesterday, imposed a ban on any kind of public meeting, rally and demonstration on Gond’s death since the matter may lead to serious law and order situation. The State BJP, however, criticised the orders and said Government is trying to snatch the democratic rights by disallowing him into the region. ‘’Since there are allegations that the ruling political party men are behind Gond’s murder, this is an attempt to suppress the incident by hook or crook,’’ a party spokesman said. However, Oram will travel to the district on March 21 and 22 as per schedule and any attempt to stop or arrest him will draw serious response. The party also lambasted the Government for not arresting the murderers of Gond yet.

Roopa Mishra has created a history by dismissing the alleged rapist headmaster of Badamada Sevashram.

With a lady Collector in the helm of the District Administration justice for women can be fast and firm. The latest example is reported from Nabarangpur district, where Roopa Mishra is the Collector. 2004 batch IAS Topper, Ms.Mishra has set an example on 2 March. She on 2 March received a complaint from a lady school teacher of Badamada Sevashram in Kosagumuda block of Nabarangpur district that girl inmates of the school are sexually harassed. The complainant alleged that the Headmaster of the residential school, Pradipta Kumar Sahu has been indulging in sexual activities with girl borders and has impregnated 4 innocent young girls. The Collector was prompt in taking action. She rushed a Team consisting of DWO, Program Officer along with the Staff Nurse of District Headquarters Hospital to the school for an on the spot inquiry to the sordid affairs. They found the complaint to be generally genuine and horrifying facts tumbled out. Headmaster along with a Gana Sikhyak and the husband of the Cook-cum-Attendant were involved in the sex racket. They made some innocent and hapless hostel inmates of Class VII and VIII, the victim of their lust. Ms.Mishra on receiving the report talked to the SP Nabarangpur Prafulla Chandra Barik, who is a sensitive top cop, who acted very fast. A case was registered and culprits were arrested immediately on the same day it self. Four girls have been sent for medical examination and one found to be pregnant. Another girl narrated a harrowing experience of an abortion in the Kosagumuda hospital. The issue rocked the Odisha Legislative Assembly (OLA) and cutting across party line lawmakers demanded exemplary punishment against the Head Master. While dismissal of Sahu was demanded by many, Dambarudhar Ulaka, senior MLA of Congress demanded exemplary punishment for the culprit. He blamed the junior officials in the district for their callous attitude towards the management of Residential Schools. Basudev Majhi, Congress echoed his views and demanded monitoring of the institutions regularly by senior officials. Karendra Majhi, BJP called for effective steps to curb such nasty incidents in future. Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Independent MLA asked for dismissal of the teacher. Pradeep Maharathy, BJD demanded slapping of NSA against the Head Master. Bishnu Das, BJD Lawmaker asked for tough action against the rapist teacher. Bhupinder Singh, Leader of Opposition asked the gauge the feeling of the House and take stringent action against the culprits.With a lady Collector in the helm of the District Administration justice for women can be fast and firm. The latest example is reported from Nabarangpur district. Bijaya Ranjan Singh Bariha, Minister ST & SC Development promised the Lawmakers to dismiss the headmaster, who has raped the tribal girls.in the floor of the House.Minister ST & SC Development tried to cool down the outraged MLAS, who cutting across party line demanded exemplary action against the rouge teacher. Mr.Bariha was replying to the adjournment motion on incidents of rape in Tribal Residential Schools. He promised the House that exemplary action in general and particularly dismissal of the teacher is on cards. Incidents of rapes in the Badaambada Residential School run by the Department of ST & SC Development in Nabarangpur district has hit the headlines in various newspapers and television channels. And the State Government has taken immediate steps to take the Head Master to task by throwing him behind the bars, said Minister. Four tribal girls were raped by the Head Master, Gana Sikhyak and a peon in the school, which came to light when an Assistant Teacher brought it to the notice of Roopa Mishra, Collector Nabarangpur. Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a probe by the Crime Branch into alleged sexual abuse of tribal girls by staff members of a state-run residential school in Nabarangpur district He gave the direction on 17th March after Congress president Sonia Gandhi recently instructed a delegation led by AICC secretary Jaydev Jena to visit the "victims". Four minor girls of a school run by the Schedule caste and Schedule Tribe Department at Badaambada village were allegedly sexually abused by the staff of the school. So far four persons, including the headmaster, were arrested in the case. ST and SC development minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha admitted that one of victims was "found pregnant", while another girl claimed the headmaster forced her to terminate her pregnancy. "Both the girls were given Rs 50,000 each as compensation," the minister said. A four-member CB team, comprising two women officers, visited the school as part of the investigations and spoke to victims, Deputy Superintendent of police, CB, A Parija said. Collector Nabarangpur on 19 March issued marching order against Pradipta Kumar Sahu for his alleged inhuman action. Sahu the Head Sevak of Badaamda Sevashram in Kosagumuda block of Nabarangpur district was charged with sexual exploitation of minor girls. For the first time in State Administration, a government servant is dismissed with immediate effect without giving him opportunity to show cause and inquiry. Sahu along with Iswar Bhotra, Gana Sikhayk and Padman Bhotra, husband of cook has been sexually exploiting borders of the residential school. The Collector keeping in view the public interest, public order, tribal welfare, education of tribal girls, faith of the tribal community in the administrative machinery, local sentiments of the people, the grave and serious nature of offence has dismissed Sahu. Sahu has been dismissed under Article 311 (2) second provisioo (b) of the Constitution of India read with sub rule (ii) of Rule-18 of Orissa Civil Service (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1962. Now the Lady Collector has done it and Ashok Kumar Tripathy, Principal Secretary of the ST & SC Development Department feel that this will give the right signal across the state. The sexual abuse episode of the Head Sevak of the Badamada Sevashram hit headlines on 3 March, when the episode came to light in view of immediate action taken by the Collector. When a Lady Assistant Teacher brought the sordid matter to the attention of Collector, Ms.Mishra constituted a fact finding team headed by District Welfare Officer and Program Officer of ICDS Cell of Nabarangpur. They visited the Sevasharm and investigated the whole affair and the credulous joint enquiry report revealed the involvement of Sahu along with 2 others. Criminal case was filed against the accused persons and they were sent to jail. Immediately Sahu was placed under suspension, while services of Gana Sikhyak Iswar Bhotra and peon Padman Bhotra were terminated with immediate effect.

MEGA HEALTH CAMP ORGANISED AT NABARANGPUR

Thousands attend Mega Health Camp at Nabarangpur. Nabarangpur. The three days Mega health camp being organized by the Orissa State Rural Health Mission at the Nabarangpur Mondei Ground witnessed huge patients from the District as many as 16,630 patients benefited in the Camp. All major pathological tests are being conducted free of charge. After diagnosis of disease, the registered patients are being provided free consultation of experts and free medicines. The Mega Health Camp Was Inaugurated by the Nabarangpur MP, Pradeep Majhi, on Sunday. On the Closing day District Collector, Smt. Roopa Mishra, said it was an attempt to provide free modern specialist health care to the poor living in the district. The patients, who have grave ailments, are being referred to the MKCG, Medical College Hospital for further treatment. Earlier she requested to make all sorts of preparations including wide publicity to make this maiden health camp successful. Banners, posters, loudspeakers are being used to inform the people about the camp, so that the rural peoples will be more benefited in this mela. Forty doctors, including specialists from the MKCG Medical College, SCB Medical College, Manipal Hospital from Visakhapatnam, took part in the health camp. Fifty paramedical staffs from Koraput and Nabarangpur district and over 50 volunteers are helped the physicians. Free Medicines had supplied to the patients free of cost. Around 40 stalls installed for this purpose. There was much enthusiasm for the health camp, as General Physicians, team of Orthopedic Surgeon, Gynecologist, ENT Specialist, Ophthalmologist, Cardiologist, Dermatologist, Dentist, Psychiatrist, Pediatrician, Oncologist & General Surgeon participated in this camp. Team of technicians that included Optometrist, Lab technicians & ECG technician along with GNM staffs worked hard to make this event a grand success. Speaking during the Closing ceremony of the Camp CDMO, Nabarangpur, Jugal Kishor Behera said, “I am thankful to the doctors and para medical staffs for their cooperation in the Mega health cam. A publicity drive was taken up in all slums of the district to attract people towards the camp. The camp was aimed at treating and providing medical attention to inhabitants of remote peripheral villages besides an open invitation to all residents of Nabarangpur district he added. The district administration, city police and Jeypore Pharmacy College, extended support for proper conduct of the mega health camp. .