The Orissa High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Centre and the State Government, including the Malkangiri district Collector, to file their respective counters in response to a PIl, which has sought for several measures, including adequate compensation to the families that have witnessed deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis.
More than 100 children have died due to the disease in Malkangiri district alone during the past two months. Expressing concern over it, a local advocate and parents of two deceased children have approached the HC seeking a high-level inquiry by an impartial agency to ascertain the cause of spreading of the disease in the district.
Taking note of the PIl, a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Vineet Saran issued notices to all the respondents asking them to file their counters within two weeks, informed the petitioner’s lawyer Sidhharth Das. The matter would come up for further hearing after the counters are received, Das said.
The petitioners have also urged the High Court to intervene for an effective and permanent solution to the menace that has been causing havoc in the district for past several years. Not satisfied with the present measures undertaken by the State Government to check spreading of the disease, the PIl has also sought for large numbers of free health camps in the district.