RAIRAKHOL: Kapil Hans would have overcome death had his feeble voice been heard at the grievance cell of the district collector on July 16, say the villagers of Gobindpur in Tribanpur panchayat under Rairakhol block. Kapil, who died of starvation on Tuesday, happens to be the second victim from the district. Siba Naik of Chubkadadar village under the same panchayat died on July 8. Kapil along with 36 villagers under Rairakhol block apprised the Collector of people living in abject poverty, including himself. They had even drawn up a list of persons who were in urgent need of assistance. But even before the administration could provide aid, Kapil died leaving behind his wife Chanchala (60) and aged father Ura Hans. The district administration, instead of accepting the ground realities has begun a cover up the act with the Additional Block Development Officer (ABDO) RN Chakraborty denying that Kapil died of fever and not starvation. The angry villagers, meanwhile, are willing to testify that Kapil died of starvation. Kapil had also approached village sarpanch Jayanti Munda and block officials to help them survive. Chakraborty said Kapil was issued a job card under MGNREGS but never approached for work. It is alleged that 20 persons in the village had been issued job cards under MGNREGS on February 12, 2006, but none among them has been provided with a single day of work. Meanwhile, the district administration has handed over Old Age Pension dues for four months to Chanchala beginning April 2011 on Wednesday besides other largesse making a mockery of the tragedy faced by the family. Though a two-member team of Sambhu Sahu and Asima Choudhury visited Chubkadadar village to ascertain the reasons, it is yet to submit report.
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