Kendrapara: The state government had launched Mahaprayan Yojana, a scheme to transport bodies from the hospital to the house of the deceased at free of cost. However, in many cases the scheme doesn’t serve the purpose as the drivers demand money for the service. There are instances bodies were dumped on the road if their demands are not met, it was learnt.
A similar case has come to light Monday as a driver of a Mahaprayan vehicle dumped the body of a five-year-old boy as the family couldn’t pay Rs 600 to the driver. Later the family members took the body to the village in a motorcycle.
According to sources, Satyanarayan Mohapatra, the son of Debashis Mohapatra, a resident of Hatia village under Marshaghai block fell into a pond Monday after returning from the Anganwadi Centre. The family members managed to rescue him and rushed him to the district headquarters hospital. However, the doctors declared the kid dead and sent the body for post-mortem.
Later, the family sought the assistance of Mahaprayan service to take the child’s body to the village. Though, a hearse was provided to the family, the driver of the vehicle demanded Rs 600 when they were on the way to the village. The family members assured him to pay once they reached home. But the driver didn’t listen and left the body along with the attendants near Tulashi Women’s college before disappearing from the spot. The family managed to reach the village with the help of a biker.
“I was not aware that the service given under Mahaprayan scheme is chargeable. I would have carried my son’s body on my shoulder had I known that the driver would drop us on the road,” said the crestfallen father after losing his son.
While resentment is brewing among locals over the issue, Kendrapara CDMO Biashnab Charan Sahu refuted the allegations saying the vehicle had not left the body in the middle.
Collector Reghu G couldn’t be contacted in this regard. PNN
