Death of Puri girl in school mishap: NHRC issues show cause on govt Odisha Sun Times Bureau Bhubaneswar, May 12: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a show cause notice to the Odisha government as to why monetary relief of Rs 3 lakhs should be not paid to the next of kin of a seven year old girl, a student of class II of a government school in Puri district, who succumbed to her injuries at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, while undergoing treatment for the injuries she sustained at the school when a big almirah kept in the classroom fell on her on July 29, 2013. Acting on a petition by young lawyer and human rights activist Prabir Kumar Das in the matter, the Commission has sought a reply within six weeks from the state government through the chief secretary while stating that the death of the girl had caused irreparable loss to her family for which the State must bear liability. Das had sought the intervention of the apex rights body on August 5, 2013 seeking an independent inquiry into the incident in which Sony Pradhan, aged 7, a student of class-II of Uttarhana UGME School under Chandanpur police limits in Puri district, was severely injured when a big almirah kept in the classroom fell on her on July 29, 2013 ultimately leading to her death on August 2, 2013 at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. Das had demanded a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased student. An inquiry report by the SP, Puri into the incident sought by the NHRC stated that on July 29, 2013, while the friends of Sony Pradhan were playing inside the class room during recess, a rack of plywood fell on Sony Pradhan while students were playing behind it. At that time the class teacher was engaged in distribution of Mid-Day-Meal. The report said after being informed about the mishap, the parents of Sony Pradhan took her to the district headquarters hospital, Puri for treatment from where she was referred to SCB, Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack where she succumbed to her injuries on August 2, 2013. The post-mortem conducted by a team of doctors opined that the death was due to injury to small intestine caused by heavy blunt object, the report added. The SP’s report had concluded that there was no negligence on the part of the school teachers. After considering the material placed on record, the Commission has observed that the girl Sony Pradhan had suffered injuries in the classroom while she was under the care and custody of the Government school. NHRC seeks ATR on deaths caused by high fluoride content in drinking water Odisha Sun Times Bureau Bhubaneswar, May 12: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from the Odisha government over the alleged deaths of at least 28 persons due to kidney related diseases in three villages of Bolangir district over a period of four years due to consumption of water drawn from tube wells with excessive fluoride content. Acting on a complaint filed by human rights activist, Akhand, in the matter, the Commission, while expressing concern, has asked the state chief secretary to file an ATR within four weeks. Petitioner Akhand has alleged that at least 28 people have died within four years in three villages of Bolangir district due to excessive fluoride content in the water from tube-wells there. Eight people of Adendunguri village of Jharanipali Panchayat, 12 people of Dhanradadar and eight people of Rampur of Bendra Panchayat in Agalpur Block of Bolangir district have lost their lives due to kidney related diseases caused due to consumption of contaminated/ high fluoride content water from tube wells, stated Akhand in his petition. The petitioner also alleged that the government failed to provide an alternative source of potable water to the villagers and had not taken any steps to compensate the families of the victims. The villagers had on several occasions approached the district administration and local peoples representatives to solve the problems. But no action has been taken, he said. Contaminated water k ills 28 people in Odisha's Bolangir: NHRC sought report from Chief Secretary Monday, May 12, 2014 Report by Odisha Diary bureau, Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a report from Odisha Government over allegedly death due to consuming contaminated water i n several villages of Bolangir district. Acting on a complaint of rights activist Akhand, the Commission has directed the Chief Secretary of Odisha to file a report in the matter within four weeks. The petitioner alleged that at least 28 people have died within four years in three villages of Bolangir district due to excessive fluoride content in the water of tube -wells there. Eight people of Adendunguri village of Jharanipali Panchayat, 12 people of Dhanradadar and eight people of Rampur of Bendra Panchay at in Agalpur Block of Bolangir district have lost their life by consuming contaminated water. Government have not made any alternative to check the menace or have not initiated for any compensation to the villagers, alleged Akhand before the NHRC. The vi llagers approached the District administration and local peoples representatives to solve the problems. But no action is being taken, said Akhand. – gulfnews.com 812 security men to protect 84 ministers and VIPs • By Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent • Published: 17:39 May 12, 2014 Mumbai: There is barely any security for the man on the street and yet it is not uncommon to see gun- toting securitymen swarming around ministers and VIPs. New data obtained through an RTI query shows that a total of 812 officers and security personnel have been deployed for 84 VIPs in Maharashtra. A Right to Information (RTI) query shows that Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his MLA daughter, Praniti, alone have been provided with 52 security men. The information came in response to the query filed by Pune-based RTI activist Vihar Dhurve who sought to know the total number of police and security personnel deployed for the protection of political and non- political VIPs in Maharashtra. While Shinde and his daughter have been accorded Z-Plus security, the Home Minister’s wife, Ujwala Shinde, has been granted Y-category security and has a total of 14 personnel for her security. According to PTI, Praniti told the news agency that the security provided to her family was “unnecessary” and they want their security to be withdrawn. “We are provided security as per protocol but we have not asked for any security. We do not even use the security provided to us. I have even written a letter to the state Home Minister and Director-General of Police to withdraw our security. We want it to be used for better purposes.” The 12 VIPs entitled to Z-plus category security include Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Home Minister R.R. Patil and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Chavan has 46 security personnel guarding him, Ajit Pawar 31 and PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal 25. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria are among the 18 people who have been provided with Z-category security and 15-22 personnel guarding them. Meanwhile, activist Dhruv has also filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) last week emphasising the gruelling 12-hour shifts for the police on VIP security duties. Since police officials cannot form a union to express their grievances, he told the NHRC and SHRC in his complaint that the long working hours affect their health and family life negatively. VIP security extends to two shifts of 12 hours each instead of three shifts of eight hours each, said Dhruv. The long hours also affect their normal work of investigation and other duties in their own departments. The punishing long hours faced by police personnel on VIP security duty have been highlighted time and again but so far the authorities have turned a blind eye to this serious problem. Last year, the Maharashtra government’s reply to an RTI query revealed that out of a total of 49,000 cops in Mumbai, over 27,000 are deployed for the security of VIPs, leaving Mumbaikars to the mercy of criminals. .