KENDRAPARA: A compensation amount of Rs 4 lakh has become the bone of contention between the biological and foster parents of a 16-year-old girl who drowned in a pond in Rajnagar’s Ostia village three months back.
The deceased girl Namita’s biological parents Ranjan Mai and Rupali Mai on Thursday launched an indefinite hunger strike in front of Rajnagar community health centre (CHC) Rajnagar demanding the death certificate of their daughter to get the amount.
Sources said Ranjan and Rupali gave up Namita for adoption to Ratnakar Das and Mamata Das of Gopaljewpatana village as per the law when she was three-year-old. Later, the couple had two sons.
Though Namita has been described as the daughter of Ratnakar and Mamata in her Aadhar card and the school admission register, Ranjan said, “The birth certificate of Namita mentions us as her parents. Hence we are entitled to get compensation. I am also contemplating filing a case in court to get the amount.”
On the other hand, Ratnakar said after Namita’s untimely death, her biological parents have become greedy. “They are casting their covetous eyes on the Rs 4 lakh compensation money. The officials should provide us the amount,” he added.
Contacted, Rajnagar tehsildar Ashwini Kumar Bhuyan said the administration is yet to issue the cheque of Rs 4 lakh as the biological and adoptive parents of Namita are fighting to pocket the huge amount. “We will provide the compensation after the medical officer of Rajnagar CHC issues the girl’s death certificate mentioning the names of her legal parents,” Bhuyan added.
Medical officer of Rajnagar CHC Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty said the death certificate of Namita will be issued after examining the relevant documents and consultation with government officials. According to lawyer Subash Das, once the adoption has happened, the biological parents have no legal ties with the child and they are not entitled to get the compensation amount.