Orissa govt denies starvation,files case against journalists

Bhubaneswar,Jun 01 (UNI) Orissa Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal today denied starvation at Sinapali block in Nuapada district where people were consuming stones as food as alleged by leader of Opposition in the Assembly J B Pattnaik.

Describing the report circulated by a news channel as totally false and motivated, Mr Samal said a criminal case has been instituted against two reporters of OTV in the Sinapali police station under section 124,417 and 34 of the IPC for circulating the news.

The Revenue Minister condemned the attempt of the journalists to indulge in cheap sensationalism and said he would welcome a House Committee to look into the alleged starvation and the criminal attempts on the part of a section of media so that the truth of the case would be revealed.

Speaker Maheswar Mohanty too condemned the report which he said had defamed Orissa badly and favoured action against the journalists for circulating such false news.

He also announced a House Committee to be chaired by the Revenue Minister with five members from both the treasury bench and Opposition, to probe into the issue and submit a report seven days before the end of the Assembly session.

The issue was rocked during the morning session when Leader of Opposition J B Pattnaik demanded that all business of the House be suspended to take up the reported eating of stones as food materials by the starved tribals at Sinapali block in Nuapada district.

The House witnessed pandemonium as the Opposition trooped into the well and shouted slogan against the government holding Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik responsible for the starvation situation in Sinapali block.

The House was adjourned thrice and finally for the lunch without transacting any business barring the obituary references following the furore.

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