Latest news with #SusashanTihar
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CM suspends & reprimands officials across multiple depts
Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai took strict action against officials in Mungeli and Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi (GPM) districts during the ongoing 'Susashan Tihar' ( Good Governance Festival ). Executive engineer R.K. Mishra of the water resources department, posted in Mungeli, was suspended with immediate effect for the long-pending Maniyari and Patharia reservoir projects. Similarly, GPM district education officer Jagdish Kumar Shastri was removed from his post following the district's dismal board exam results, which the CM said reflected serious flaws in the education system. Chairing a review meeting at the Mungeli collectorate on the progress of govt schemes in GPM, Bilaspur, and Mungeli districts, Sai emphasised the importance of accountable governance and directed swift disciplinary action against erring officials. "Good governance means efficient and responsive administration. The trust placed in us by the people must be strengthened through action," Sai said, urging officers to frequently visit rural areas to better understand ground realities and improve service delivery. Addressing water scarcity during peak summer, the CM directed officials to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply and devise concrete strategies to combat seasonal diseases. He assured that fertilisers and seeds are adequately available and instructed that farmers should not face any hurdles in accessing them. Expressing strong disapproval over delayed wage payments in the Marwahi forest division, the CM instructed that payments be delivered directly to the homes of affected labourers. He also ordered speedy resolution of the large number of pending revenue cases in Bilaspur district and directed officials to avoid repeatedly summoning parties. Sai questioned the delay in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the Achanakmar Reserve area and called for timely execution through better coordination. He suggested training women's groups to produce centering plates used in housing construction to boost rural employment. Concerned over the delay in issuing over five lakh Ayushman cards in Bilaspur, Sai reprimanded the CMHO and sought updates on the status of CIMS Super Speciality Hospital. He proposed exploring the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and asked the district collector to submit a detailed proposal. The chief minister emphasised urgent efforts for water recharge, pond restoration, and crop diversification with farmers' consent, especially ahead of the monsoon season. He instructed various departments to prepare a joint action plan to ensure long-term water conservation and agricultural sustainability.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
‘Systemic failures, mental harassment and disregard by officials behind CHO's suicide'
Raipur: The alleged suicide of a woman Community Health Officer (CHO) posted at Ayushman Arogya Mandir Jangalpur in the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan district on Thursday has sparked a row over the safety of female CHOs serving in rural areas of the state under the National Health Mission. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A day after the tragic incident, the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Samudaik Swasthya Adhikari Prakosth alleged that the dedicated woman CHO, Arti Yadav, took her own life due to mental harassment by officials, terming the tragedy a failure of the system. According to Prakosth president Prafull Kumar, Arti Yadav was a mother to a one-year-old child. A month after losing her husband in an accident, her plea for leave was allegedly rejected. Away from her home in Durg, she continued to serve alone at the health centre, single-handedly managing numerous responsibilities without any colleagues or support, Kumar said. He further alleged that a month's salary, three months of performance-based incentives, and funds for the centre were withheld. Attempts for transfer were unsuccessful due to alleged contractual exploitation, and the senior health officer threatening to harm her confidential report (CR), he added. The recently issued Terms of Reference (TOR) reportedly placed the entire burden on her, demanding that she perform the work of four people alone. The threat of salary deduction two to three days prior allegedly shattered her last hope, he added. "This is not an isolated incident. In the last three years, five CHOs reportedly lost their lives due to work pressure," stated the Prakosth. The Prakosth has demanded appropriate workload, mental health support, and an end to contractual exploitation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meanwhile, CMHO Dr Ashish Sharma told TOI that depression might have been the reason for the suicide. "After her husband's death, she applied for leave twice, and I approved it. I called her three to four days ago to ask if she wanted another extension. Despite the general cancellation of leave due to ongoing 'Susashan Tihar' (Good Governance Festival) in state, I approved her leave. She was a sincere staff member," the CMHO said. The Prakosth has been continuously striving for the regularisation and transfer of CHOs, along with various other demands. The number of alleged cases of harassment of female health workers across the state has increased to 25, regarding which the Prakosth has sent letters to health minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, minister of women and child development Laxmi Rajwade, and several other senior officials. Rajwade reportedly sent a letter to the health minister to fulfill the demands but no action has been seen on the ground so far. Prafull stated that the 3,500 contractual CHOs in the state are agitated, and if govt does not take action in time, they will launch a state-wide agitation. "90% of the CHOs are women, and most of them are young and unmarried. They are being forced not to leave their headquarters even during the night. Anti-social elements in the locality are trying to take undue advantage of this. We demand that women CHOs be posted within an eight-kilometre radius of their homes for their safety," Prafull told TOI while sharing copies of complaints and FIRs lodged with the police regarding incidents of misbehaviour with female CHOs.
