Puri: The pilgrim town of Puri, currently all agog with the fervour of Ratha Jatra, was witness to the unedifying sight of a man carrying the body of his minor daughter on a trolley due to alleged non-availability of Mahaprayan, the free hearse service provided by the state government, on Saturday night.
One Dhani Sahu of Jagannathpur had come to the holy town, along with his family, to attend the annual Ratha Jatra and was staying in the Jagannath Math.
Sahu admitted her minor daughter Kabi to the district headquarters hospital after the latter complained of severe chest pain yesterday. However, she breathed her last while undergoing treatment.
Sahu contacted a Mahaprayan vehicle to carry the mortal remains of his daughter to the crematorium, but in vain. With no other means in sight, he carried the body on a trolley rickshaw from the government-run hospital to Swargadwara.
The incident reminded the Dana Majhi case and raised questions over the efficacy of the Mahaprayan service provided by the state government to the people. It also revealed the lacuna of the district administration in providing health services to the devotees during the time of the world famous Car festival of Lord Jagannath and his siblings in Puri.
Ms Kalinga