Kendrapara (Odisha), 29 Oct

A 26-year-old Odisha government employee claimed that she lost her child in the womb after allegedly being denied leave by a Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) while experiencing severe labour pain at her office in Kendrapara district.

The incident occurred on 25 October but came to light on Tuesday when the woman, Barsha Priyadarshini, shared her story with the media.

Barsha, an employee of the Women and Child Development Department in the district's Derabish block, said she was in her seventh month of pregnancy and felt intense pain at work.

She alleged that she requested CDPO Snehalata Sahoo and other officials to take her to hospital, but they ignored her pleas. Barsha also claimed that Snehalata mistreated her.

Later, Barsha's relatives took her to a private hospital in Kendrapara, where an ultrasound revealed that her baby had died. She claimed that "mental harassment and gross negligence" of the CDPO led to her loss and also filed a written complaint to the district collector, demanding strict action against the Sahoo.

Nilu Mohapatra, additional district magistrate (ADM), Kendrapara said, "After getting the complaint, the district administration has directed the District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) to submit a report after investigating the matter. After getting the report, we will take action."

Expressing concern over the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida in a post on X said she discussed about the incident with Kendrapara collector and directed him to immediately conduct a detailed investigation and submit a report.

Reacting to the allegation, the CDPO said she was unaware of Barsha's suffering. "A committee will be formed to investigate the matter. After that, we will submit our report," said Manorama Swain, DSWO, Kendrapara.