Tension in Patrapur; male members fled fearing arrest

Berhampur (Orissa), Jun15 (UNI) Tension prevailed in Patrapur village where all the male members fled fearing police action, a day after irate villagers set fire to the Community Health Centre(CHC), Block and Tahasil office protesting the death of a vendor.

Over four hundred villagers, peeved over the death of vendor Narasingh Mohanty(32) ransacked the CHC,Block office and Tahasil office and set them ablaze.

Before they set fire to the official buildings, the furniture, files, computer and other equipment were destroyed by the mob. They also set ablaze the medicine store of the CHC and resorted to rasta roko agitation carrying the body with them.

Police said the mob turned violent when Vendor Narashingha, injured in lightning, died in the hospital due to lack of treatment in the absence of any doctor.

The irate mob who congregated at the CHC after the death of Narasingh attacked Tahasildar Khetra Mohan Patnaik who sustained injuries on his head and set fire to the vehicles of Commnity Development Project Officer(CDPO) and the Tahasildar.

In a bid to pacify the situation,the District administration has sanctioned Rs 10,000 to the next kin of the deceased from Red Cross fund, another Rs 10,000 as compensation for death due to lighting besides Rs 5,000 for the cremation of the body.

Ganjam Collector Kartikeya Pandian visited the place along with Project Director DRDA and other senior officials of the district administration today to review the situation and access the damage.

Two platoons of armed police force have been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward situation. Former Orissa Legislative Assembly Speaker and Congress leader Chintamani Dyan Samantara has demanded RDC enquiry into the incident.

Though the 30 bedded Patrapur CHC was built at a cost of Rs 80 lakhs and seven doctors posts were sanctioned,it was running without any doctor since last eight months.

The Ganjam Chief District Medical Officer,however,has assured the villagers to immediately depute two doctors in the CHC.

UNI