Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today ordered an RDC-level inquiry into the death of two women after allegedly consuming gruel made of mango kernel at Mandipanka village under Kandhamal district’s Daringbadi block.
The Chief Minister’s order came in the aftermath of a high-level delegation of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) meeting Governor Raghubar Das in this issue.
The OPCC delegation also submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding immediate action in the issue.
The Congress leaders said that the incident exposes severe food insecurity in the region and critical failures of the PDS and total neglect of district and state administration.
The government currently provides only 5 kg of rice per person monthly, which typically lasts just 15-20 days. The food for October-December was released only on November 2, delayed by a month, which led the people to consume mango kernel, they said.
“Had the food supplies been released on time in October, this incident—and the loss of two precious lives—could have been saved. Delay in food distribution violates the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and is a criminal offense,” read the memo submitted by the Congress.
Surprisingly, the Food Supplies Minister claims that families had sufficient rice and simply did not collect their October-December quota is a total false and misleading statement intended only to hide their own failures.
Government shouldn’t play with the food habits of the tribal population. Villagers are not consuming mango kernels by choice but they are forced to do so because of insufficient food, they claimed.
The Collector of Kandhamal has not visited the village yet. And the Chief Minister is yet to make time to visit the district.
“As you are the constitutional custodian of tribal rights, we request your visit to these areas to witness the ground realities firsthand. Your presence will bring much-needed attention to the issues, helping to set many things back on track,” they requested the Governor.
The party demanded financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for each family of the deceased and enhancement of the food grain supply to 15 kg per person per month.
They also demanded removal of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra from the Council of Ministers for making irresponsible and fabricated statements.
The Kandhamal Collector should also be immediately sacked for his gross negligence of his duty, who is yet to visit the affected village, the leaders demanded.