Sajanagad: In a shocking incident, the body of a man lay in his house for three days in here in Balasore district before it was buried by his relatives Sunday amid allegation that the Harischandra Yojana meant for post death rituals has failed in this case.
The deceased was identified as Makara Bindhani (72). Makara and his wife Suhagi (65) used to live in a shanty on a forestland in Sajanagad after their only son died in an accident.
The elderly couple was broken after the demise of their son. Makara was paralysed a few days ago. Worse, they were too broke to treat the disease. The only support for them was 10 kg subsidised rice. Sadly, the couple was deprived of pension.
Under such striated circumstance, Suhagi had to work in a nearby hotel and managed to buy medicines for her paralysed husband.
However, her husband died Friday. She had informed her relatives about the death. Mangalia, the elder brother of the deceased, came home and sought help of the neighbours and villagers to perform the last rites, but no help came.
The son-in-law of the deceased and other relatives reached the village Sunday and sought the help of the panchayat, but to no avail.
The relatives were too poor to provide any financial help for cremation of the body. In such a situation, his body was taken to the nearby forest where it was buried.
Sarpanch Sabita Khalpalia claimed that she had no information about the death.
Nilagiri BDO Ramdas Tudu said, “As soon as I got the news, I sent panchayat executive officer Jamuna Hembram to the spot with necessary help.”
PNN
