Village in Kandhamal mourns death of 5-year-old

BERHAMPUR: Milipada village in Kandhamal district’s Phiringia block mourned for Kalia, the five-year-old boy who was once part of a set of conjoined twins, and who passed away on Wednesday, three years after a surgery separated him from his brother Jaga.
Kalia’s body was brought to his native village of Milipada on Thursday for the funeral rites. The young boy died while undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
Many villagers found it hard to keep their emotions in check when Kalia, accompanied by his parents Bhuyan Kanhar and Puspanjali, was brought to Milipada in an ambulance.The last rites of the child, who belongs to an indigenous community, were performed in the presence of locals, police and Phulbani BDO Shantanu Kumar Nayak.
The government has provided the bereaved family Rs 2,000 under the Harischandra Yojana and Rs 10,000 from the Red Cross fund for the funeral.
After performing the last rites, the boy’s parents left for Cuttack to attend to Jaga, who is also undergoing treatment at SCB. “We are very much saddened at Kalia’s passing. We could not save him in spite of all our efforts,” said Bhuyan.