Odisha Deputy CM Seeks Report On Woman Clerk Losing Baby Due To Harassment At Office

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Tuesday sought a report from Kendrapada Collector Smruti Ranjan Pradhan in connection with the alleged harassment of a seven-month pregnant woman clerk by Derabish Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), leading to death of her newborn.

She has directed the collector to probe the matter and submit a detailed report at the earliest.

Parida also spoke to Barsha Priyadarshini Mohapatra, the junior revenue assistant of ICDS project posted at the office of CDPO, and expressed grief over her loss.

The CDPO, Snhealata Sahoo, allegedly declined her plea to visit hospital after she fell ill on October 25 and misbehaved with. Later, she was taken to a private hospital by her family members, and doctors there found that the baby had died in her womb.

Her family members alleged the baby died due to negligence of the CDPO.

Barsha attributed the stillbirth of my her child to ‘continuous harassment and mental torture by Sahu. “On October 25, 2024, the situation escalated further. The CDPO engaged in an aggressive and rigorous argument with me in the office, during which I lost consciousness. This incident not only had a severe impact on my mental health but, as my doctor has confirmed, was a direct contributor to the distress that resulted in my baby’s death. The emotional and physical toll I suffered due to this hostile treatment from the CDPO cannot be overstated. especially during such a sensitive period in my pregnancy,” she wrote in her complaint to the collector, a copy of which is with Odisha Bytes.

Demanding a probe into the incident and appropriate action against the CDPO, she added that this grave misconduct by a person responsible for child welfare and maternal health was an outright abuse of office and a violation of public trust.

The CDPO, however, has refuted these allegations.