Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has sent notices to Secretaries of Food & Civil Supplies and Health & Family Welfare departments, and Kandhamal collector over alleged death of two tribal women after consuming mango kernel gruel.
The officials have been asked to submit their reports by December 20.
Expressing concern over the incident while hearing a batch of petitions filed by several human rights activists, the rights panel directed the Mohan Majhi government to address the hunger issue with utmost priority.
The petitioners alleged that the tribal people were forced to eat mango kernel gruel due to delay in distribution of rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
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Two women – Ramita Patmajhi and Runu Majhi – died and six others were taken ill after allegedly consuming gruel made of mango kernel at Mandipanka village in Daringbadi block of Kandhamal on October 30. Fulminant hepatitis leading to multi-organ failure was suspected to have led to the deaths after two other women, admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack late on October 2 evening, were diagnosed with pulmonary hepatic failure caused by a fungal infection.
Meanwhile, RDC (South) Roopa Roshan Sahoo along with collector Amrit Ruturaj has begun a probe into the incident. She visited Mandipanka village on Wednesday and interacted with the families of the two who died and those undergoing treatment. She will again visit the village on November 11 as part of the probe.