Diarrhoea deaths: OHRC asks secys of 3 depts, Puri collector to appear | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Monday asked the secretaries of three departments and the Puri district collector to appear before the OHRC on March 3 over diarrhoea deaths in Kanas block.
The directive from Justice S Pujahari, chairperson of the commission, came after the officials failed to submit their action taken reports on the deaths. The commission passed its order after hearing petitions filed by former Satyabadi MLA Ramaranjan Baliarsingh, human rights activist Baghambar Pattanaik, and others, alleging seven persons died of diarrhoea in Kanas block due to lack of potable water.
During the hearing, Baliarsingh stated that no report was submitted by the govt officials despite the interim order passed by OHRC. He further submitted that safe drinking water is a fundamental right of citizens and that people of Kanas need it the most.
Pattanaik and others alleged that none of the officials visited the area. OHRC issued notices on Jan 24 to the secretaries of the health and family welfare, panchayati raj and drinking water, and water resources departments, member secretary of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), and the Puri collector to submit their reports by Feb 24.
OHRC received a report from the OSPCB member secretary on Feb 19. But no reports was received from the secretaries and the collector. The matter was adjourned to March 3.
The directive from Justice S Pujahari, chairperson of the commission, came after the officials failed to submit their action taken reports on the deaths. The commission passed its order after hearing petitions filed by former Satyabadi MLA Ramaranjan Baliarsingh, human rights activist Baghambar Pattanaik, and others, alleging seven persons died of diarrhoea in Kanas block due to lack of potable water.
During the hearing, Baliarsingh stated that no report was submitted by the govt officials despite the interim order passed by OHRC. He further submitted that safe drinking water is a fundamental right of citizens and that people of Kanas need it the most.
Pattanaik and others alleged that none of the officials visited the area. OHRC issued notices on Jan 24 to the secretaries of the health and family welfare, panchayati raj and drinking water, and water resources departments, member secretary of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), and the Puri collector to submit their reports by Feb 24.
OHRC received a report from the OSPCB member secretary on Feb 19. But no reports was received from the secretaries and the collector. The matter was adjourned to March 3.
