Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said a high-level departmental enquiry would be conducted into the shocking suicide of tribal nursing student from Gajapati district Sunita Raita who took the extreme step for not being able to afford fees of her study owing to not receiving stipend for a long 16 months.

Expressing concern over the alleged neglect on the part of the Gajapati district administration in paying stipend to the tribal students in due time, Oram said that the Tribal Affairs Ministry earlier in the third week of August had sought a detailed report from the Odisha Government over the unfortunate incident. After receipt of the report, a team of senior officials of his Ministry would come for a detailed inquiry, he informed.

Oram further said the team would review the status of the Central assistance in terms of stipend meant for the tribal students and its utilisation and also the utilisation of funds for infrastructural development in tribal schools and hostels. The team would also inquire into the suicide of two other tribal girl students, Banita Naik and Kanaka Bhatra, who ended their lives for failing to get their monthly stipend money.

Stating that such callousness by State authorities would not be tolerated, Oram said that the central team would inquire into the aspect as to why the stipend was not disbursed regularly to the tribal students and particularly to Sunita in time and what action was taken by the State Government against the erring officials whom Sunita had blamed in her suicide note.

Notably, Sunita (21) had committed suicide on August 13 last at her village Diptinagar after failing to get her stipend released from the authorities for more than a year. She had also approached the district Collector two days before her death with her grievance. In her suicide note, she had named the district Collector as being responsible for her death.

Meanwhile, the State Government transferred Basudev Bahinipati, the district Collector of Gajapati, after his name figured in the suicide note earlier this week. The Government also suspended the Project Director, DRDA of the district.

Although Chief Minister Naveen Patanik had announced compensation of `1 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, the parents of the girl refused to take the exgratia.