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Sunday, July 25, 1999
Man denied rice at PDS outlet, sets self ablaze
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
BHAWANIPATNA (ORISSA), JULY 24: A man, denied rice from a Public Distribution Sales outlet at Koksara for not having a below poverty line (BPL) ration card, committed suicide by setting himself ablaze, police said.The man, identified as Nilamani Pattnaik, had repeatedly gone to the sales centre to get some rice to feed his family, but his pleas were turned down by the employees of the outlet, Maitree, 70 km from here, as he did not have a BPL card.The BPL card holders are provided 10 kg of rice per family per month at the rate of Rs 2 per kg. The police said that Patnaik went to the centre on Saturday last and threatened self-immolation if his request was not acceeded to. When the employees manning the centre did not pay any heed, he snatched a can of kerosene in the full view of onlookers, doused himself and drank a little before lighting a match. The police said the man, having suffered third degree burn injuries, was rushed to the Koksara Public Health Centre and then to the Government Hospitalhere. He was shifted to the VSS Medical College Hospital at Burla when his condition deteriorated. But he died there on July 20 last. Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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