Balasore, Nov 18 (Odisha.in) In yet another case of the much hyped social security and food security measures not reaching the most needy people, a Brahmin man in Orissa’s Balasore district has committed suicide on Saturday reportedly after failing to feed his six-member family.
Earlier, two girls in the family also had committed suicide due to poverty.
The man has been identified as Manoranjan Panda (28). Panda, a native of Singla area of Balasore was staying as a domesticated son-in-law in the house of Dibya Lochan Sarangi at Mulakanda (Pandarungi) village under Basta block of the coastal district.
He was in fact a TB patient and bed-ridden since months. After the death of Dibya Lochan, a father of four daughters and a son, Panda was managing the family working as a daily-wage labourer. Besides, 23 decimal of homestead land, the family has no agricultural land.
Now, Sumati (22), wife of Manoranjan, who had been arranging funds for his treatment by begging, is determined to sale her one-year-daughter to perform the last rite of her husband.
“After his death the sweeper in the hospital demanded Rs 500 for the postmortem of the body. However, the villagers arranged it. But now I have no funds to perform his last rites. As I have two daughters, I want to sale the youngest one for the purpose. It is too impossible on my part to look after the baby,” she said.
According to the sources, it is not the single suicide case of the poor Brahmin family. “While my third daughter Anasuya had committed suicide in January last year, fourth daughter Suchitra too consumed poison and succumbed in the hospital two months back,” said a frail looking Kanakalata Sarangi, wife of Dibya Lochan.
“Manoranjan was taking caring of ours. But since he was detected with TB, we had to languish in acute poverty. My second daughter Sumati had to restore to begging and manage the family. Now what will you do,” she asked.
Kanakalata and Sumati too have decided to finish their lives. “With no other options left for us to run the family, we are unable to sustain the family. My health condition doesn’t permit to work. So, death is the only option,” said Sumati while tears rolling down her cheeks.
Though the family has a BPL card but they hardly lift rice due to their poverty. Besides, this no poverty alleviation scheme has reached the family. They are still deprived of a house under IAY.
“The family is under acute poverty. Manoranjan committed suicide after he failed to maintain his family,” admitted Gourimani Behera, ward member.
Even though suicidal deaths and cases of child sale due to poverty are rampant in the most neglected KBK region, such cases in the costal region, considerably better than other areas of Orissa, has exposed the callous government, which always claim about proper implementation of various poverty alleviation schemes.
Contacted, Balasore Collector Alekh Chandra Padhiary told that he asked Basta BDO to look into the matter following the complaint of hospital officials demanding money for postmortem.
“I too have instructed the BDO to conduct an inquiry about the condition of the family and ascertain whether the family has been deprived of any government schemes,” he added.
Odisha.in