Bhubaneswar: A Congress delegation today met governor Raghubar Dash seeking his intervention into the death of tribal people by consuming mango kernel in Kandhamal. Many senior leaders including Srikant Jena, Mohammad Moquim, Santosh Singh Saluja, Jayadev Jena, MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati and others have sought the Governor’s intervention in the matter.
While the government claimed that no one will go hungry under the food security scheme, the Kandhamal incident is an insult to the State across the country, Congress legislature party chief Ramchandra Kadam said. The leader of the Congress legislature party said that the Governor promised to call the Chief Secretary to discuss the action taken in this matter.
Earlier, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra attributed recent deaths to food poisoning from stale mango kernel gruel. Despite sufficient food and warnings, some tribal communities continue to consume the hazardous seed. Preliminary reports indicate the victims ate fermented rice and mango kernel gruel that had been stored for 2-3 days.
Minister Patra noted that all 69 families in Mandipanka village in Kandhamal receive rice under the National Food Security Act, with supplies available immediately.
