Pregnant govt employee loses child after being 'denied' leave in Odisha’s Kendrapada
Kendrapara (Odisha), Oct 29: 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 October 25 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.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
