JEYPORE: Alleging forceful dismissal from job without prior notice by Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) officials, a Scheduled Tribe anganwadi worker of Lamataput block has sought justice from district administration. Purna Muduli, 23, has been running from pillar to post demanding an inquiry by a high-level committee into the incident.
Purna stated that she had got the appointment letter in December last year and was dismissed last month on grounds that she did not belong to the service area. Claiming her dismissal as abrupt, Purna has alleged that she was discriminated against as she was an ST and had no influence in the area.
In July 2021, the child development project officer (CDPO) under Lamataput ICDS had called for applications to fill anganwadi worker post in Machhkund centre under Chikenput panchayat. Purna, a post-graduate ST candidate of Kujambo village under the same panchayat, had applied for the post and was chosen by the selection committee under chairmanship of Koraput Sub-Collector. She received the appointment letter on December 14 and joined soon after.
However, on March 17 this year, some staff from Lamataput ICDS office visited the anganwadi centre and reportedly took Purna’s signature on a blank sheet. As the team left without giving her any information, Purna got suspicious and visited the ICDS office. To her shock, the staff there informed that she had been dismissed from service.
The dismissal order she received stated that she had been removed from the post as per order of the Koraput additional district magistrate. “I am shocked as there was no prior notice from the district administration or CDPO office on my dismissal. I have been trying to reach out to the Collector or district social welfare officer for justice but to no avail,” said Purna.
Contacted, Lamataput ICDS project officer Sandhya Rani Patra clarified that Purna was dismissed from service by the selection committee as she did not belong to the service area of Machhkund 2 centre.