The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued final reminder to the district Collector, Bhadrak, on the plight of leprosy patients of Dagamunda colony warning coercive action against it in the event of lapses.
Earlier, the Joint Secretary, State Home Department, had forwarded his letter dated 01.08.2016 addressed to the Bhadrak Collector, requesting him to take appropriate action and report the matter to the Commission, directly under intimation to the Home Department.
Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy had drawn the attention of the NHRC over denial of basic human rights of poor children of tribals and leprosy patients in Dagamunda village, Randia Gram Panchayat of Bhadrak district.
The poor children of the landless tribals, most of whom suffer from leprosy, are either patients or daily wagers. About twenty families in the village are landless. They are not yet provided with ROR (Patta) nor any house under IAY or Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana. Therefore they live in endangered condition without any help from the State Government, Tripathy had alleged.
They live in filthy atmosphere with mosquito breeding. There is no all-weather road to the village. As such, the children have to cross muddy path to reach the school and to reach the outer world. One permanent teacher and another temporary Shiksha Sahayak are entrusted to teach and prepare mid-day-meal for all the students. lack of basic infrastructure hounds the school severely.
Finding no other way, these poor children from unfortunate parents are forced beg or work as child labourers. There have been other inexpressible inhuman factors in this village as well, the petition contended.
The plight of the children and their parents has been continuing as the Government fails to ensure basic amenities to the children and the villagers. The facts and circumstances of the case amounts to serious human rights violation, Tripathy further alleged.
He requested the NHRC to investigate the case and direct the Chief Secretary and the Social Welfare Department to send a complete report with regard to the allotment of basic amenities with houses under IAY and benefits of social welfare schemes, school building with basic infrastructure, all- weather road to the village and to the school and recommend compensation to the victims in a timely manner.
It is most important to mention here that earlier the NHRC has also transferred two other petitions filed by Tripathy relating to protection of basic human rights of the leprosy patients and poor tribals of the same village to the Odisha State Human Rights Commission. Even if the OHRC asked the district administration to act over the issue, the victims are yet to get justice.
The NHRC directed the Collector to send the requisite report within six weeks. Even after expiry of the time, the Collector could not file detailed reply before the NHRC.