Bhubaneswar, April 28: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has issued a notice to the Odisha government regarding the tragic death of a tribal minor student and the mass illness affecting hundreds at an ashram school in Mayurbhanj district. The commission has requested an “Action Taken Report” from the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes Development Department, the Mayurbhanj Collector, and the Superintendent of Police.
This inquiry follows a petition filed on April 15 by Biju Janata Dal leader Priyabrata Majhi, invoking the powers granted to the commission under Article 338A of the Indian Constitution.
The commission has mandated that all facts and information, along with actions taken regarding the allegations, be submitted within seven days of receiving the notice, either by post, in person, or through other communication means.
The Commissioner of the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes Development Department and district officials have been instructed to provide a detailed report on the incident within the stipulated time. Failure to comply may result in a summons for personal appearance.
Notably, on April 12, hundreds of students fell ill after consuming food prepared at the Kakabandha Ashram School in Mayurbhanj. Fifth-grade student Rupali Besra, who was receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada, sadly passed away on April 14. In response to this incident, the Odisha government has initiated an investigation and announced financial assistance of ₹700,000 for the deceased student’s family.
Following the incident, the school headmaster has been suspended, and a departmental inquiry is currently underway.
This tragic event has raised serious concerns about the quality and safety of food provided in tribal students’ ashram schools. The National Human Rights Commission has also taken cognizance of the matter and requested a report, which is expected to expedite the investigation.
The opposition party, Biju Janata Dal, has demanded immediate accountability from all relevant officials and departments.
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