A leprosy-hit man who was almost abandoned by everybody finally died of starvation in the Dahanipali village of Hilung Panchayat in Subarnapur district.
As if it was not enough, his family members and near and dear did not turn up to take the body to the cremation ground and it was the sweeper community who did the same.
After knowing the deplorable situation of Dhruba Sahoo(60), some social workers and a health worker had gone to his house on Monday to help him but found him dead. Though they informed his relatives in the village, nobody came forward to accept his body.
Dhruba, the eldest of six brothers, used to live happily with his wife. But fate played a cruel joke on him when he was hit by leprosy during childhood and after some years of marriage, his wife abandoned him. Since then, he was living by begging.
Dhruba was getting treatment from lepra Society 20 years ago and was cured. He was getting his disability pension of Rs 300 and 10 kg rice under the food security programme. later, due to health problem, he stopped going out. Though his four brothers were living with their families in the same village, nobody came to help him.
Finally the Sarpanch, the Panchayat Executive Officer and some officials reached the spot. After the body kept lying for 10 hours, with the help of social activists, the local Mehentar association brought his body decorated with flowers and banana leaves. His last rites were performed as per Hindu traditions. Hilung Sarpanch gave Rs 2,000 for cremating Dhruba under the Harishchandra Yojana.