Odisha govt stops grievance cell hearings after girl's death

A day after the sudden death of a 12-year-old girl in the Jajpur District Magistrate's Grievance Cell, the Odisha government today decided to stop grievance hearings in all places till further order.
"The public hearing in grievance cells including one at the state capital will not be held from April 18 in view of the prevailing heatwave condition across the state," a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.
The people, however, can lodge their grievance through telephone (No. 0674-2530700) and e-mail (cmgcodisha.Gov.In), the CMO said, adding the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of different district collectors will be published in the newspapers soon.

People used to lodge their grievances in the district level at the district collectors' offices and Chief Minister's grievance cell in the capital every Monday.
The government has now stopped the practice after the death of Soli Sahu, a heart patient, who had accompanied her parents Surendra and Kanak Sahu to the Jajpur district collector's grievance cell yesterday.
She had come to the district level grievance cell at Dharmasala seeking funds for her treatment.

Surendra said he had brought the girl, a class VII student, to the grievance cell for financial assistance to take her to a Bangalore-based hospital for free treatment.

Though the District Magistrate had given Rs 4,000 as relief money to the family, the girl suddenly fell ill and was immediately taken to the Dharamshala hospital where the doctors declared her dead on arrival.
"They had initially asked for Red Cross fund for treatment. I immediately gave them Rs 4,000 as financial help. Later, while they were taking her back, the girl fell ill. We referred her to the hospital where she was declared dead. According to government rules, the body has to be sent for post mortem," said Jajpur district collector Satya Kumar Mallick.