A minor girl student recently gave birth to a baby girl at a Government-run tribal residential school at Bhogra in Kutra block of Sundargarh district, leaving the district administration red-faced.
The administration got some respite after it was established that the 14-year-old student of Class V had become pregnant during vacation.
District Welfare Officer (DWO) Chandarkant Majhi, in additional charge of District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), on Wednesday sent a report to the State Government.
Majhi said the girl on Monday night gave birth to a baby on the school premises. She was later hospitalised and then sent to her family. He said inquiry revealed that during the last Christmas, she had visited her sister’s house at Gamardihi in the district. There, she developed physical relationship with her brother-in-law’s friend and again stayed there during the summer vacation, the DWO said.
The administration is peeved over the school authorities’ callousness and failure in knowing her pregnancy. Sources said the administration is contemplating to monitor menstruation cycle of adolescent girls through female school workers. Sources said the perpetrator has also admitted to the crime.
Meanwhile, National Alliance for Women’s Organisations member Subhashree Ray has demanded stern action against the perpetrator.
She also insisted on strict guidelines for residential schools citing that two years back, a girl of a residential school in Balishankara block fled to Delhi for three months, but school authorities never bothered to inform police.