Naveen blames Odisha govt for mango kernel deaths

Bhubaneswar: The BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday blamed the Odisha government for the deaths of two tribal women after consuming mango kernel gruel in Kandhamal district recently.

Patnaik said the women were forced to eat the gruel allegedly due to lack of adequate food at their homes. "The State government has stopped the provision of rice for poor tribals. Therefore, they were forced to eat mango kernel gruel. Two people have died and others are undergoing treatment. This is very sad," Patnaik said while addressing members of party’s students wing at Sankha Bhawan.

Patnaik said the present government has "ruined" the efforts of his (BJD) government, which had ensured people received adequate grains. He said the BJD government had introduced the State’s own food security scheme for those who were not covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).