Collector of the Mayurbhanj District has been asked by the Human Rights Commission, Orissa to submit “a general note on performance of the employment guarantee programme and other poverty alleviation schemes for the improvement of the condition of Lodhas”.
Taking up the case filed by Journalist Prasanta Patnaik and Advocate Biswapriya Kanungo on mob-killing of four of the landless and wretchedly poor Lodhas, details of which were rendered in these pages earlier, the Commission have noted, “The allegation made in the petition prima-facie reveals a sad state of affairs of a community for whom the state is supposed to take integrated development programmes and provide them protection”.
The Commission has sent a copy of the petition along with enclosures to the Collector requesting him “to get the matter inquired into and submit a factual report to the commission on the incident of 10 October 2010”.
The Commission expects that the factual report on mob-attack on the Lodhas leading to death of four of them as well as the general note on performance of programmes meant for their well-being would be submitted by the District Collector “within six weeks”.