Bhapur: A mentally-challenged 47-year-old man, often left in isolation without food and water, allegedly starved to death at Fatehgarh village under Bhapur block in Nayagarh district Friday. The victim was identified as Gananath Ojha.
Locals condemned Ojha’s death and held the local administration and Sarpanch responsible. However, the administration and local sarpanch refuted the allegations.
According to locals, Ojha was unmarried as he was mentally-challenged and was mostly looked after by his brothers. He depended on his brothers for food and shelter.
Later, in 2010, he was provided a card under ‘Antyodaya Yojana’ by Fategarh panchayat. He was given 35 kilogram of rice every month under the scheme. This helped him eat at least two meals daily. He handed over the rice to his brothers who on the other hand provided him with shelter, sources said.
However, he was deprived of the card after government implemented ration cards in January 2016 under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) scheme. This also deprived him of the rice that was made availed to him.
His efforts to alert the panchayat and block officials fell on deaf ears, sources said. Ojha ran from pillar to post to renew his name but in vain, locals alleged.
Failing to avail proper food, his health deteriorated. He moved from house to house for food and often slept outside on someone’s verandah, sources said. Later, he breathed his last while sleeping on the verandah of a local.
“I wrote two to three times to the block administration regarding Ojha’s card,” sarpanch Manjubala Kunwar said when contacted. “I personally approached the supply officer several times but in vain,” she said, adding that the administration was responsible . The negligence of the administration finally led to a person’s death,’ Manjubala said.
However, BDO Ranjit Sahu refuted the allegations and said that the matter was not brought to his notice. PNN