Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Wednesday directed the Forest & Environment and Health departments to bear the medical expenses of the seven people, who were severely injured by a wild elephant which went on rampage in Pipli area of Puri recently. Four people were also killed due to the elephant attack February 23.
It has also directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and the secretary of the Forest department to furnish enquiry report within 20 days. The directions were issued by OHRC while hearing a petition of rights activist Pradipta Nayak. He had taken up the pleas of the injured who had alleged that Rs 5,000 provided for the treatment was inadequate.
“The commission has asked the state government to provide free treatment to those who are admitted to private and government hospitals including the bed charges, medicines and food till their recovery. The government will also compensate the amount already spent for treatment by the injured. The commission has also rebuked PCCF’s statement saying “it was people’s fault”. Government had given just Rs 5,000 to the injured and Rs 4 lakh was announced for the family of the deceased. But I’m also requesting the commission that the families be given at least Rs 10 lakh,” said Nayak.
Nayak said one of the injured is currently being treated at Sunshine Hospital here while two others are also in private hospitals. The remaining four are getting treated in government hospitals.
Issues like whether the Forest department officials were tracking the movement of elephants and as to why swift action wasn’t taken by them will be deliberated in the next hearing, Nayak stated.
The authorities failed to tranquilise the jumbo either and it was recently spotted near Bhubaneswar, he added.
