With the Supreme Court hearing the Itishree Pradhan case, the School and Mass Education (S&ME) Department has recommended to the General Administration Department to take stern action against former District Project Coordinator (DPC) and former BDO of Kashipur in Rayagada district in connection with the sensational murder of Itishree, a teacher of the Tikiri Upper Primary School, in November 2013.
The recommendation of the S&ME Department for action against the two OAS officers has come on the basis of the administrative report of senior IAS officer and the then Agriculture Secretary Rajesh Verma. As per the report, laxmikanta Behera, OAS, was working as the DPC under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Rayagada district from June 20, 2012 to August 1, 2013 while Alok Kumar Pradhan, OAS, was the BDO of Kashipur from December 14, 2012.
During his tenure, Behera had visited the Tikiri Upper Primary School on March 1, 2013. At that time, there was a disturbing atmosphere in the school. Though Itishree was running from pillar to post seeking justice from higher authorities, neither Behera nor Pradhan had taken any step to redress her grievances, the report had stated.
While the Home Department, on the basis of Verma’s report, had recommended stern action against these two OAS officers to the General Administration Department in a letter on November 11 last year, the S&ME Department has requested the GA Department to implement the recommendation of the Home Department against the two officials who are now posted in the GA Department, and, accordingly, inform about the action it has taken against the duo to it and the Home Department.