Kendrapara: Three months after the drowning of a 16-year-old girl, her biological and adoptive parents are fighting for the ex-gratia amount of Rs four lakh announced by the Odisha government.
The deceased, Namita, was the biological daughter of Ranjan Mai and Rupali Mai of Ostia village. She was later legally adopted by Ratnakar Das and Mamata Das of Gopaljewpatana village.
As both sides are demanding that amount, it was not given to anybody. Even the death certificate could not be issued.
“We will provide the money to the legally eligible parents,” Rajnagar Tehsildar Ashiwini Kumar Bhuyan said.
Namita is mentioned as the daughter of Ratnakar and Mamata – her adoptive parents – in her Aadhaar card and the school admission register.
However, her biological parents Ranjan and Rupali went on hunger strike in front of the Community Health Center (CHC) at Rajnagar Thursday demanding the death certificate of their daughter.
The medical officer of that CHC will issue Namita’s death certificate which will bear the names of her parents. On the basis of the death certificate, the ex-gratia money will be given, according to officials.
“After examining relevant documents and consulting government officials and pleaders, we will issue the death certificate of Namita,” said Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty, the medical officer of the CHC.
“My name figures as the father on the birth certificate of my daughter. Therefore, I am entitled to get the compensatory allowance,” claimed Ranjan Mai, the biological father.
Ratnakar Das, the adoptive father, contested this assertion. “As per the Aadhaar card and school admission register, I am her father. Thus I have legal rights over the claim,” he said.
The fight between the two sides over the compensation money is unfortunate, the medical officer said.
“IF the adoption is legal, the biological parents have no legal ties with the child. Thus, they are not entitled to get the compensation amount,” said Subash Das, a lawyer of Kendrapara.
PTI