Berhampur, Aug. 6: The state government is in a spot over a number of teenage pregnancies in government-run schools coming to light.

At least three such cases have been reported from various schools in the state over the past three years.

On Thursday, another such case came to light after a 15-year-old girl student gave birth to a baby boy at Nityananda Panda Government Girls High School.

The girl was studying in Class X of the school, which falls in Jagannath Prasad police limits in Ganjam district.

Headmistress Prativa Pradhan said the girl complained of abdominal pain in class. "The girl went to the washroom and came back to classroom bleeding profusely. I immediately informed the family members of the girl and accredited social health activist Pushpanjali Bishoyi after the class teacher informed me. But the girl gave birth in the classroom before they reached," said Pradhan.

The girl's mother, who reached the school few minutes later, took her and the baby to their home at Paika Sahi, she said.

Pradhan also informed block education officer Amar Singh Meher and president of the school management committee Shankar Patra.

Neighbours in Paika Sahi said the mother and the girl left home after the baby died around 9.30pm that night.

District education officer Sanatan Panda said: "We could have take action against the school authorities had it been residential. The girl was staying with her family in their house."

Inspector in charge of Jagannath Prasad police station S.K. Sethi said the family members were not willing to divulge any information about the matter. "The police can't do much as nobody from the family came forward to lodge a complaint to trace the man who made her pregnant. We will investigate the matter only after the family members lodge a complaint," said Sethi.

A fact-finding team, during its visit to the state last year, had expressed concern over the rising number of teenage pregnancies in tribal residential schools.