Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government today rejected the allegation made by opposition BJD and Congress that three tribal women at Mandipanka village in Kandhamal district died due to lack of food.
While participating in a debate on an adjournment motion over the alleged mango kernel death cases, Opposition MLAs have alleged that the tribal women were forced to eat mango kernel as they did not have food to eat and subsequently died.
In his reply, Krushna Chandra Patra, Minister food Supplies and Consumer Welfare said the tribal women died due to food poisoning after consuming gruel prepared from mango kernel.
The rumours of starvation were dispelled after a thorough investigation, which confirmed that the affected families had adequate food supplies at the time of the fatal mishap, he said.
He said the opposition members were making politics over small issues as they do not have any issues to raise in the House.
Condemning the Opposition allegation, the Minister further said the families of all three women have farmland and they have taken tokens and sold paddy to the government in the Mandi. The brother of Runu Majhi (one of the deceased) is also serving in BSF, he informed the House.
Shri Patra said steps were taken for the distribution of PDS rice for October, November, and December from October. In addition to it, an additional 12 kg of ragi was distributed to the families of Runu, Ramita and Jita Majhi in the last week of September.
The Minister also dismissed the opposition allegation that PDS rice could not be distributed due to the e-KYC checking process.
Shri Patra said the government was taking steps to provide a monthly quota of food grain to the beneficiaries before their due period, providing two or three months food grain quota at a time and for lifting of food grain from godowns and distribution to beneficiaries at a time within a certain time frame.
He said rice is being distributed without e-KYC and urged the Speaker to reject the notice for adjournment.
Participating in the debate Ranendra Pratap Swain (BJD) said the people died as the government failed to distribute rice to the beneficiaries for four months.
Shri Swain held the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister responsible for the deaths and demanded his resignation.
Another BJD member, Byomakesh Ray said the entire system failed. The women died after they consumed mango kernel as they did not have food to eat.
Prafulla Chnadra Pradhan(Congress) said mango kernel is not a traditional food of tribals. They were forced to eat mango kernel as they did not have food to eat.
Treasury Bench Members –Tankadhar Tripathy, Ashok Kumar Mohanty, Santosh Kumar Khatua and Irasis Acharya have also defended the State Government through the debate.
Not satisfied with the Minister’s reply the members of the BJD and Congress staged a walkout from the House.