PMO seeks report on Dana Majhi case

Bhubaneswar, Sep 2 (PTI) The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)has sought details from Odisha government about Dana Majhi, thetribal man who carried his wife’s body on his shoulder inKalahandi district. The letter was received yesterday. "They (PMO) have soughtdetails including the circumstances under which the tribal mancarried his wife’s body on shoulder and walked miles," BJDspokesman Pratap Keshari Deb said today. Decribing the incident at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandidistrict as "unfortunate", he said the state government wouldnot "hide" anything about the incident. "As the Kalahandi district collector had conducted aninquiry into the incident through the additional districtmagistrate, the government will apprise the PMO about itsfindings soon," Deb said. The state government felt that this kind of incidentshould not have happened at all in Odisha, he said. On August 24, Dana Majhi, a resident of Melghar village inKalahandi district, had carried his wife’s body on his shoulderand walked 10 km accompanied by his minor daughter afterallegedly being denied a hearse by the district hospital. The district administration had disengaged a male staffnurse and a security agency of the hospital on the charge ofnegligence in duty which led to Majhi carrying his wife’s bodyon his shoulder despite the fact that the government has aprograme for transportation of bodies from the hospital to thedeceased’s residence. The incident created outrage across the country and leftan impact abroad too. Prime Minister of Baharin Prince Khalifabin Salman Al Khalifa has reportedly extended financial help toMajhi’s family. PTI AAM KKDIP