3 starvation deaths

NUAPADA: The spectre of starvation deaths continues to haunt western Odisha, with three more suspected cases being reported from Sinapali block of Nuapada district in the last two days.The State Advisor to the Commission of Supreme Court on the Right to Food is scheduled to visit the block to ascertain the cause of the deaths.Reports said Laxman Jagat (27) of Kuliadangri village in Karanbahal gram panchayat died on Friday.His brother, Ghasi Jagat in his complaint to the police said Laxman was suffering from prolonged illness due to malnutrition.His wife and daughter left the house leaving behind Laxman and his widowed mother.Since then the two have been surviving on her meagre old-age pension.And a day after Laxman breathed his last, Lochani Bewa (60) of the village also died due to malnutrition.While the villagers accused his son of not taking care of him, there is no denying that he died without food.No rice was procured using the Antodaya card for the last three months.Similarly, Durbal Nag (55) of the village also died on Saturday leaving behind a physically-challenged son, Ralen.The father-son duo depended on their quota rice which failed to reach them in the absence of a proper distribution system.Block Development Officer (I/c) of Sinapali, Debasis Sinha said while Lochani Bewa and Durbal Nag died of natural causes, medical report of Laxman Jagat is awaited.He admitted that 10 to 15 beneficiaries had not received rice under various schemes and he was probing the matter.The distribution of rice in the gram panchayat was virtually stopped after villagers locked the gram panchayat office on September 21 and the arrest of Executive Officer Tankadhar Bhoi for irregularities in the distribution of rice.His successor Madhab Hati claimed that the villagers had not been cooperating, affecting the distribution.