N'pada admn rushes as youth dies of starvation

Thursday, 18 July 2019 | AJIT PANDA | NUAPADA

When the death news of Goutam Behera (18) of Sargimunda village under Boden block of Nuapada district broke in social media in the morning of July 7, the block administration immediately rushed to the village. It remained completely unconcerned, when the news of Goutam’s wretched living condition was reported in media six months ago. Posting of tweet at the twitter handles of Collector, @districtnuapada and @CMOdisha on January 8 last resulted in issue of a PHH (Primary House Hold) ration card with provision of 10 kg of rice per month to Goutam and his sister Debanti (20) on January 14. This time the administration however was on its toes, because Debanti alleged that Goutam died of starvation.

Reaching at the village on 7th morning, the first effort of the officials was to pursuade the villagers to do the cremation. “When I informed the block officials that Goutam died of starvation as I had nothing in my house to feed him for last five days, they did not pay any heed to my words and asked the villagers to do the cremation,” said Debanti. Laxmikant Behera, one of the villagers also reveals the same. “I requested the ABDO to provide transport facility to take the body to Boden to conduct post-mortem, because Debanti claimed that it was a case of starvation, but the official persuaded for cremation stating that requesting the police for post-mortem would lead to legal complicacy and the villagers would be harassed,” said Laxmikant.

“Para 39 of the Odisha Relief Code makes it mandatory that in case of death due to starvation, a UD case should be registered in the local police station and post-mortem should be conducted. Findings in the post-mortem report should weigh in deciding the case of starvation. But, it is astonishing that the Government officials visiting the village to inquire the alleged starvation death, violated this direction. It proves that they wanted to cover up the issue,” said Sanjay Tiwari, a farmer leader and convenor of Krushak Sakti Sangathana.

Goutam died at about 7 pm on July 6. “When I saw that his body was still, I knew he has breathed his last; my neighbours arrived listening to my cry and confirmed that he was dead,” said Debanti, who had been taking care of Goutam since their mother died when Goutam was three years old.

“Although born disabled, Goutam was able to walk till he was 12, but gradually became immobile due to problem in his bones,” said Radheshyam Behera of the village and attributes the cause of problem to fluorosis. “There are several other people in our village who are suffering from this disease due to consumption of fluoride contaminated water,” he added.

Debanti’s narration about how she and her brother lived for long fifteen years after the death of their mother is heart touching. Her father Gajraj remarried after six months of the death of Debanti’s mother. Goutam was sent to a school for differently abled children at Khariar after completing class five in village school. He studied up to seventh at Khariar and returned home. Gradually his problem increased and he became completely immobile down his waist that forced him stick to a tricycle. Debanti attended him regularly, even cleaning his faeces as he defecated in the tricycle. “My step mother would ill treat us; she even beat my brother for defecating in the tricycle, although she did nothing for him and one day she drove him out of the house. The shadow of a tree at the outskirts of the village became his shelter after that. My father fixed a poly-sheet over the tricycle to protect him during rain. I used to go there every day to clean him and give him food. I brought him back home when my father shifted with his wife and her three children to the Indira Awas (house constructed under Indira Awas Yojana) one and a half years ago,” described the young girl wiping tears from her eyes and further informed how, in spite of the disability, Goutam managed the family from begging.
“His job everyday was to move from village to village in the tricycle to collect alms, which helped us manage two square meals a day. However, things suddenly changed when he was forced to stay home after developing a wound in the waist,” she further added.

Debanti revealed that, she admitted Goutam in the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) at Nuapada, when the wound did not heal with local medicine. “We stayed there for a month and a half till the wound healed. The pension of Rs 500 he got from the Government was being spent for purchase of medicine. I met the Collector madam there in the hospital, when she arrived there with the CDMO madam on some work. Collector madam assured me that, she would provide support for my brother’s treatment but that never happened,” Debanti told a fact finding team, which visited the village on July 14 last.

“I had also requested the Collector to increase the quantity of rice from 10 kg to a little more so that, my brother would no more be forced to beg, but the Collector madam said that it was not possible to increase the quantity,” added she.

The discharge certificate cum prescription slip given by the doctor in the DHH reveals that Goutam had developed paraplegic bedsore. He was prescribed an antibiotic called Lizolid 600 along with paracetamol, povidone iodine and vitamin B complex. “Two of the medicines were provided in the hospital but I was buying the rest from outside, which he continued at home even after his discharge. How could I manage these expenses with his pension of Rs 500,” asked Debanti. “It is a failure of the Government system, which remained apathetic toward the problems of Debanti and Goutam, but one should be worried that the social support system in the village has also broken,” said Tiwari.

The death and the media breaking now however created certain impacts. The district administration immediately issued an “Antodaya card” with the provision of 35 kgs of rice per month on July 9 last, which they denied when Goutam was alive. It is interesting that 70 kg of rice at one lot for the months of July and August has already been provided. The district administration has also deposited Rs 60,000 in two installments in her bank account.

Debanti is suffering from certain type of dermatological problem, for which she is unable to do hard work. The Collector has assured that she would be provided proper treatment and a house under Biju Pucka Ghar Yojana (special) will be allotted. The administration is planning to shift Debanti to one of the rehabilitation shelters of the district.