Odisha lady teacher murder: Stern action against ex-DPC, BDO recommended

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 9:

The School and Mass Education (S&ME) department has recommended the General Administration department to take stern action against former District Project Coordinator (DPC) and former BDO of Kashipur in Odisha’s Rayagada district in connection with the sensational murder of Itishree Pradhan, a lady teacher of Tikiri Upper Primary School, in November, 2013.

The recommendation of the S&ME department for action against the two OAS officers has come on the basis of the administrative report of senior IAS officer and the then secretary, Agriculture, Rajesh Verma.

As per the report, Laxmikanta Behera, an OAS cadre officer, was working as the DPC under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Rayagada district from June 20, 2012 to August 1, 2013 while Alok Kumar Pradhan was working as BDO of Kashipur from December 14, 2012.

During his tenure as DPC, Behera had visited Tikiri Upper Primary School on March 1, 2013. At that time, there was disturbing atmosphere in the school. Though Itishree was running from pillar to post seeking justice from the higher authorities, neither Behera and nor Pradhan had taken any step to redress her grievances, the report had stated.

While the Home department, on the basis of Verma’s report, had recommended stern action against these two OAS officers to the General Administration (GA) department in a letter on November 11 last year, the S&ME department has requested the GA department to implement the recommendation of the Home department against these two officials who are now posted in the GA department, and accordingly, inform about the action it has taken against the duo to it and the Home department.