JSU demands ex-gratia relief to families of food poisoning victims

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 9, 2020

The Jaintia Students Union (JSU) War Jaintia Circle has demanded the state government to provide ex-gratia payment to the families of the six victims who died after consuming poisonous mushrooms in May this year.

“We would like to request the government to allocate ex-gratia to the dependents and next of kin of the victims,” JSU-WJC general secretary Kerry Lamin said in a memorandum submitted to the Health Minister AL Hek on Thursday.

“The families of the six victims are facing hardships ever since their breadwinners departed untimely and they are orphans with no guardians to watch over them,” he said.

It may be mentioned here that six of 18 persons from three families died in the food poisoning incident at Lamin village under Amlarem civil sub-division.

The deceased persons include Morison Dhar (40), Lapynshai Khonglah (28), Katdilia Khonglah (26), Amrstrong Khonglah (23), Synran Khonglah (16) and Mariaba Khonglah (14).

The families had consumed poisonous mushroom identified as “Amanita phalloides” or “death cap” collected from a nearby jungle.

Meanwhile, the JSU-WJC has also sought the intervention of the health minister for allotment of 108-ambulance in the Amlarem civil sub-division.