Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has expressed concern over the death of two tribal women allegedly due to the consumption of mango kernel gruel in Kandhamal district last week.

The rights body has asked the state government to take immediate remedial measures so that such incidents will not reoccur in the future.

The OHRC has served notices on the Secretaries of Food & Civil Supplies (F&CS) and Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) Departments, and Kandhamal Collector in connection with the incident.

The officials have been asked to submit their reports by December 20.

The OHRC served the notices while hearing a batch of petitions filed by several human rights activists in connection with the death of the two tribal women.

As per the petitions, Runi Majhi (25) and Ramita Majhi (32) of Mandipanka village under Gadapur panchayat of Daringibadi block in Kandhamal died while six others fell ill after consuming mango kernel gruel last week.

The petitioners alleged that the tribal people were forced to eat mango kernel gruel due to the non-supply of ration under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

It is worth mentioning here that the state government has directed the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (south) Roopa Roshan Sahoo to probe the incident and submit a report at the earliest.