Missing Teacher Traced at Balasore Station after 3 Days; Cites Census Duty Stress
Jyotsna had left home on April 18 to perform census-related duties but failed to return, triggering concern among her family members and colleagues
Bhubaneswar: A school teacher from Baripada, Jyotsna Sahu, who had been reported missing for three days, was traced and rescued on Tuesday, bringing much-needed relief to her family and local authorities.
According to official sources, Jyotsna had left home on April 18 to perform census-related duties but failed to return, triggering concern among her family members and colleagues. With no communication from her for several days, a missing complaint was lodged, prompting the Sadar police in Baripada to launch a search operation.
Despite initial efforts, there were no immediate leads on her whereabouts, intensifying anxiety around the case. The breakthrough came when a special police team located Jyotsna sitting at Balasore railway station, where she had reportedly spent the past three days. She was rescued and later escorted back by Baripada police.
Upon her recovery, Jyotsna told officials that she had been experiencing considerable stress linked to census duty. Authorities are now examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the extent of work-related pressure, even as her safe return has brought closure to an anxious search.
A few days ago, a teacher in Sonepur district died of cardiac arrest. His family members alleged that he had been under tremendous stress due to the ‘arduous’ census duty.
Another woman teacher, who did not wish to be named, said many residents are reluctant to share household details and, at times, drive enumerators away, finding questions about income sources, number of rooms, and family size intrusive.
“I serve in a rural school. On Tuesday, I visited a village and surveyed several households. At one point, I reached a large house at the end of the village. The head of the family initially cooperated and answered around 20 of the 22 questions. However, when I asked about the number of rooms in the house and the number of couples living there, he became furious and asked us to leave immediately. We had no option but to withdraw,” she said, recounting the risks and stress involved in the census exercise.
