Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Thursday came down heavily on the BJP-led state government over the death of two tribal women in Kandhamal district due to consumption of mango kernel gruel.
Addressing the participants in the ‘Workshop on Digital membership of BJD for the students and youths’ wing of party at the Sankha Bhawan, Naveen said that the women were forced to eat the mango kernel gruel due to lack of adequate food at their homes.
The development schemes started by the BJD government gave people the strength to survive. Now, for no reason, the state government has stopped the provision of rice to poor tribal families in the state. Therefore, they were forced to eat mango kernel gruel. This is a very sad matter, Naveen said.
This is very serious issue that two people have died and others are undergoing treatment after eating mango kernel, he added.