The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed for personal appearance of the Health and Family Welfare Secretary for not complying with its order despite repeated notices/reminders in connection with a case relating to the death of a newborn baby as his parents failed to give bribe to ambulance employees in Baleswar district last year.
In its latest order on Saturday, the NHRC directed its Registry to issue summons to the Health and Family Welfare Secretary under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 to appear before the commission on August 12 with requisite report in the matter.
Angul-based Human Rights Watch Secretary Sangita Swain had moved the NHRC last year alleging that on September 30, 2015 the new born baby of Gitanjali Sakhua and Narahari Sankhua, a resident of Soro in Balasore district died inside a Government ambulance as the ambulance staff refused to provide oxygen to the sick baby after the parents expressed their inability to give Rs3,000 bribe to the them.
“The parents were taking the baby to Cuttack Sishu Bhavan. When the condition of the baby deteriorated the parents appealed to the staff to provide oxygen. But the staffs present inside the ambulance did not so and demanded Rs3,000 bribe,” alleged Swain.
He urged BHUBANESWAR: BJP, Bhubaneswar organisational district president Harekrushna Khuntia on Sunday ousted party’s State executive member Dillip Mohanty and Vani Vihar Mandal president Niranjan Sahoo from the district executive for alleged anti-party activities.
Khuntia too recommended to State president Basant Panda to expel the two leaders from the party.
“Dillip Mohanty had been involved in anti-party activities in north Assembly constituency area in association with some Mandal presidents to avenge his failure to become the district president. Similarly, Vani Vihar Mandal president Niranjan Sahoo held executive meeting without inviting district functionaries. Mohanty too supported him. Though I had consulted with the concerned Mandal president and MlA candidate, it didn’t yield any result. Hence, I ousted them from the district executive and recommended to State president to expel them,” said Khuntia in a statement. PNS the commission to direct the authorities to give Rs20 lakh to the kin of the deceased.