A day after Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered an inquiry into the death of two women allegedly after eating mango kernel gruel in Kandhamal district, the revenue divisional commissioner of southern division initiated the process by having interactions with community and panchayati raj institutions.

The alleged deaths occurred in the Kandhamal village, where two women reportedly died after consuming a gruel made from mango kernels. Six others fell seriously ill, with two later being transferred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, as their conditions worsened.

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Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) Southern Division, Roopa Roshan Sahoo on Wednesday visited the affected Mandipanka village in Daringbadi block of the district.

She interacted with the family members, ward members, members of the community and civil society organisations along with Collector and other officials of Kandhamal district, to have a thorough inquiry into the two deaths.

The RDC also inspected the records of the Public Distribution System (PDS) at the large area multipurpose societies (LAMPS). According to the order from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the inquiry report is to be submitted after further perusal of the relevant information in seven days.

With the Opposition blaming the BJP government in Odisha over the death of two women, the health department administration said the two died due to food poisoning. The gruel was kept without proper preservation and it became toxic leading to fungal growth among those who consumed it.

The department later claimed that fulminant hepatitis led to multi-organ failure,and then death of two women, who had consumed mango kernel gruel in Kandhamal district.

The State unit of Congress yesterday demanded Rs 20 lakh compensation for the family members of the deceased tribal women, removal of the food supplies and consumer welfare minister and action against the Kandhamal district collector.

The Congress had also accused the BJP Government of triggering severe food insecurity and breakdown of the public distribution system alleging that the death of two tribal women after consumption of mango kernel gruel was due to lack of foodgrains.