Nandapur: A 41-year-old Anganwadi helper in Nandapur block was mistakenly declared 60 years old and forced into retirement, reportedly due to a clerical error in official records.
The Koraput district administration has now ordered a correction of the mistake with immediate effect. Ratnamani Burudi, an Anganwadi helper at Arlabput Anganwadi Centre under Kulabir panchayat in Nandapur block, discovered the error when she received notice of her retirement. Although her age is recorded as 41 in her school certificate, Aadhaar card, and voter ID, official records at Nandapur Child Development Office listed her as being 60 years old.
During the public hearing held in Nandapur Monday, Burudi submitted a written complaint along with supporting documents to acting Koraput Collector (ADM) Tapan Kumar Nayak. She explained that she was appointed as an Anganwadi helper in 2010 at the age of 26, but her date of birth was incorrectly entered as 1964 instead of 1984 by an office employee. The error went unnoticed for years.
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“When the office informed me that I had reached the retirement age of 60, I was shocked. I still have 19 years of service left,” Burudi said, requesting immediate correction of the records.
Upon reviewing the complaint, Nayak questioned Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) Minati Bala Pattnaik and directed her to resolve the issue promptly. Pattnaik confirmed that the error, made 16 years ago, would be rectified as per the new departmental rules.
According to the revised procedure, a committee headed by the sub-collector and comprising the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), Social Welfare Officer, and the concerned CDPO as convener will handle such cases. The committee will review Burudi’s service book and correct the discrepancy at the earliest.
Burudi expressed relief following the assurance of correction. Meanwhile, local residents and intellectuals have urged authorities to ensure that such clerical mistakes do not recur in official documentation.
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