Taking a serious view over an alleged starvation death of a 70-year-old man due to non disbursement of subsidised rice under the Below Poverty line (BPl), the National Human Rights Commission has sought an action-taken report (ATR) from the Chief Secretary.
Acting on a petition filed by Angul-based Human Rights Watch secretary Sangita Swain, the commission directed the Chief Secretary to submit an ATR within four weeks.
The petitioner alleged that on October 24, last year a poor man identified as Chandramani Jani (70), a resident of Singhpur in Nuagaon block in Nayagarh district died due to starvation as he did not get the subsidised rice despite having BPl card. She alleged that the old man did not get food for 15 consecutive days resulting in his death. The petitioner has prayed the commission for criminal action against the concerned officials and a compensation of Rs50 lakh to the kin of the deceased.