Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has asked the district social security officer (DSSO) of Khurda to ensure expeditious rescue and rehabilitation of mentally ill persons found wandering on roads. The rights body’s move came while hearing a plea filed by Salaam Jeevan co-founder Mohammad Imran Ali. It was in 2019 when Ali came across a media report highlighting the plight of people with mental maladies wandering on roads across the state.
Moved by the news piece, Ali surveyed the Capital city and approached the state’s apex rights body with the findings of the study. The petitioner urged the commission to direct the authorities for immediate rescue and rehabilitation of these destitute. Taking cognisance, the commission asked the Khurda DSSO to submit a report in this regard. In its report, the DSSO informed the commission that the City has two dedicated facilities– Mission Ashra and Mission Ashalok – for such destitute. “More than 1,700 mentally ill persons have so far been rescued, kept at these facilities and later rehabilitated,” it said. Appreciating the measures, the OHRC asked the DSSO to keep a close watch on the issue and ensure expeditious rescue and rehabilitation of mentally ill persons whenever found wandering on roads.