Bhubaneswar, July 21: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Chara Majhi announced a financial aid of ₹10 lakh for each family of the two pilgrims who tragically lost their lives during this year’s Rath Yatra in Puri on July 16.
This announcement was made through an official post on the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) Twitter handle. The CMO expressed deep condolences for the passing of Anil Das from Cuttack and Ashok Subare Raikar from Mumbai, who both succumbed to illness while receiving treatment after the event.
The state government confirmed the deaths of the two pilgrims during the Rath Yatra but denied any incidents of stampede. Following the event, the government reported that seven individuals felt unwell, and personnel on duty promptly transported them to the hospital. Unfortunately, one male pilgrim over the age of 60 passed away.
Additionally, in a separate and unrelated incident, a male pilgrim over 35 years old suffered a cardiac arrest and died despite immediate medical assistance. Many other pilgrims, affected by continuous rain, received medical care and were discharged after appropriate treatment.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with opposition leaders accusing the state government of serious negligence in crowd management, which they claim led to the fatalities. The main opposition party, BJD, alleged that four severely injured pilgrims were brought to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital due to a stampede near Marichikote Chowk on Grand Road during the Rath Yatra on July 16.
The party further claimed that the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Puri declared three of them dead, while post-mortem reports indicated that their deaths resulted from the stampede.
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