Post News Network
Nayagarh, August 20: Tension prevailed Thursday after a woman teacher alleging regular harassment by Khandapada block education officer (BEO) Suresh Kumar Dash tried to immolate herself outside the district collectorate here.
Police and district officials went into a tizzy and prevented Shantilata Rout (52), a native of Gunthuni and headmistress of Natabarprasad UG Middle English School under Khandapada block from immolating herself.
On being informed, the district education officer, Pradosh Nayak, immediately called Rout to his office and gave a patient hearing to her plaint and assured to resolve her problems within a month. Rout, however, warned of taking to the extreme step again if her problems are not sorted out within a month.
Rout alleged she started her career as a Sikshya Karmi in 1991 and was regularised in 1994. Later, she was appointed as a headmistress in Natabarprasad UG Middle English School.
However, due to animosity of the BEO Suresh Kumar Dash, she has failed to receive her arrears for over 15 months between 2006 and 2015. Furthermore, she has also been deprived of getting promotion, increments and enhanced salaries while her service book has not been regularised.
Her ordeal crossed all limits when Dash recently transferred her to Kantilo while she was on leave. When she questioned Dash about it he hurled casteist remarks and threatened to stop her payment if she did not join at her new place. Meanwhile, her transfer to Kantilo was cancelled and she was posted at Jogiapalli.
She even met him a number of times and urged him to release her arrears and regularise her service book but he never cared to listen to her.
All her complaints before the higher authorities failed to end her ordeal. She has even met the collector and director, education, in this regard but in vain.
Dash allegedly asked her to give `75,000 as bribe to get her work done August 2014. As directed she gave `5,000 as advance to clerk Nilakantha Pattnaik in the block. However, the BEO never did her work citing various reasons and kept her running to his office.
She even tried to meet the collector May 11 when the BEO intervened and promised to get her work done. He then advised her to meet the director education in Bhubaneswar and get his signature on the allotment paper. She met the BEO again but was driven away by him who refused to do her work.
When contacted, Dash rejected the allegations and said that this has happened due to non-allotment of funds.
