Bhubaneswar, July 20 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday announced ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the next of kin of the two devotees who died during this year’s Rath Yatra in Puri on July 16.
The decision was announced through a post on the official X handle of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
“Chief Minister @MohanMOdisha has expressed deep grief over the demise of Anil Das of Kataka and Ashok Subare Raikar of Mumbai, who passed away while undergoing treatment after falling ill in Puri on July 16. The Chief Minister has also announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CF) for the next of kin of the deceased,” informed the CMO.
The state government had earlier confirmed the death of two devotees during the Rath Yatra but denied allegations that a stampede had occurred during the festival.
Following the incident, the state government noted, “during the course of the festival, seven persons felt unwell and were immediately evacuated by the deployed personnel and shifted to the hospital without delay. Among them, one male devotee aged above 60 years unfortunately succumbed.”
The government also added that in a separate and unrelated incident, a male devotee aged above 35 years had a cardiac arrest and, despite immediate medical intervention, unfortunately passed away. Besides, many devotees who became unwell due to incessant rain-induced illness were given medical treatment at the hospital and were discharged after proper medical treatment.
The incident triggered widespread outrage, with opposition leaders accusing the state government of serious lapses in crowd management that allegedly led to the deaths of the devotees.
The opposition also alleged that the state government is trying to suppress the stampede incident in which three devotees died while over 350 others sustained injuries.
The main opposition BJD claimed that during the Rath Yatra on July 16, four critically injured devotees were brought to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital following the stampede near Marichikote Chowk on the Grand Road (Bada da) of Puri.
The party also alleged that the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Puri, declared three of them dead while the post-mortem reports clearly established that the three devotees died due to the stampede.
“What is even more surprising is that every possible attempt is being made to cover up the administrative lapses by attributing the incident to “Lord Jagannath’s will.” This is highly condemnable. We demand a judicial inquiry into the stampede that occurred during the Ghosa Yatra (Rath Yatra). The government should now ensure that all rituals and religious ceremonies of Lord Jagannath, from the upcoming Bahuda Yatra to Niladri Bije, are conducted smoothly and without any disruption,” demanded BJD.
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(Written with inputs from IANS)
