By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 2, 2016 : Prime Minister’s Officer [PMO] has sought a report from the Odisha government on the incident in Bhawanipatna where one impoverished Dana Majhi, had to carry the body of his wife on his shoulders for at least 12 km last week with his traumatised daughter.

Majhi couldn’t afford to hire a vehicle nor was he provided one by the district headquarters hospital authorities.

The PMO’s letter dispatched on August 26 seeking details of the incident was received by the state government on Thursday, officials said.

The incident once again exposed too many chinks in Naveen Patnaik government’s armour as the news hit international headlines prompting even governments abroad to lend helping hand to Majhi.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal [BJD] spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said, “All facts pertaining to how the incident happened, what action has been taken, everything in detail will be certainly provided to the Prime Minister by the state government at the earliest.”

Describing the incident as most unfortunate, Deb made it clear that it should not have happened. “An inquiry has been conducted on the incident and the government has received the report. The state government will accordingly inform the Prime Minister,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dana Majhi has been flooded with aids and donations from government and non-government organizations since his wife’s death that include, Rs 30,000 and a sack of rice by the district administration, Promise of admission in a residential tribal school for his three daughters, Promise of a pucca house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and inclusion under the National Family Benefit Scheme, Rs 80,000 plus four term deposit certificates of Rs 10,000 each in his and his three daughters’ names by a Maharashtra donor, One-time assistance of Rs 5 lakh, plus Rs 10,000 a month for Chandini till she gets married or has a job, by Sulabh International and Donation of an undisclosed sum by the Bahraini prime minister.

Besides, the Naveen Patnaik government has announced a new ambulance scheme and setting up of a medical college in Kalahandi.