Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has formally requested the urgent intervention of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) following deeply disturbing reports of sexual exploitation and confirmed pregnancies among minor tribal girls residing in hostels managed by Odisha’s ST & SC Development (SSD) Department. The memorandum was submitted today, July 26, 2025.
In its letter to the NCST Chairman , the BJD leadership stated that these revelations “point toward systemic failure, gross administrative negligence, and criminal oversight” in safeguarding the young tribal girls under state care. The party lamented that these hostels, intended as safe spaces for education and empowerment, have “tragically become environments of abuse and trauma”.
The memorandum detailed four recent incidents illustrating the gravity of the crisis:
- Rayagada District (July 18, 2025): A minor girl in an SC & ST Welfare Department hostel at Dukum village was found to be pregnant.
- Mayurbhanj District (July 20, 2025): A Class VIII tribal girl in an SSD Department hostel under Bangiriposhi police jurisdiction was discovered to be two months pregnant.
- Kandhamal District (July 20, 2025): A Class X minor girl in an SSD-run hostel under Tumudibandha Police Station was confirmed pregnant after a medical check-up.
- Kandhamal District (July 26, 2025): Two Class X minor girls residing in a Government Residential Girls’ High School in Tumudibandha block were confirmed pregnant, raising concerns of systemic sexual abuse.
The BJD asserted that these are not isolated incidents but rather “a pattern of deep-rooted institutional failure and lack of monitoring mechanisms” in hostels for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes. The party also highlighted state data indicating approximately 15 rape cases per day in Odisha, underscoring an increasingly unsafe environment for vulnerable women and girls.
Viewing the situation as a “humanitarian crisis demanding urgent national attention and institutional response” , the BJD has put forth several demands to the NCST:
- Initiate an independent, high-level inquiry into all reported and unreported cases of sexual abuse in SSD Department hostels across Odisha.
- Ensure accountability by identifying and taking action against negligent officials, hostel superintendents, wardens, and law enforcement personnel.
- Immediately implement stringent protection measures, including CCTV cameras, routine medical examinations, access to psychological counseling, and deployment of female security staff in all ST/SC hostels.
- Provide comprehensive medical, legal, and psychological support to victims while strictly safeguarding their identity and dignity.
- Form a Special Investigative Team (SIT) under judicial oversight to monitor investigations and judicial proceedings.
- Advise the State Government to undertake systemic policy reforms, including overhauling the SSD Department’s hostel monitoring framework, establishing functional grievance redressal cells, and conducting regular surprise inspections.
The memorandum, signed by Dr.Priyabrata Majhi and others on behalf of the Biju Janata Dal , urged the NCST to take urgent cognizance of these cases and intervene appropriately to safeguard the fundamental rights of these marginalized communities.