72-year-old tribal woman lives in toilet in Odisha's Mayurbhanj

A 72-year-old tribal woman in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district has been residing in a toilet for the last three years after failing to get accommodation from the state government. The woman identified as Draupadi Behera said that her whole family, including grandson and daughter, sleep outside while she cooks and sleeps inside the toilet which has been constructed by the Kanika village administration. She had, earlier, raked up the issue before the authorities following which they promised to provide her accommodation but she says she is still waiting for a house of her own. Sarpanch of the village, Budhuram Puty told ANI, "I have no power to construct a house for her. When the order to construct additional house comes through a scheme, I will provide one to her." Expressing anguish over the issue, Satya Mohanty, a human rights advocate urged the central and Odisha government to look into the matter. For latest news follow www.deccanherald.com.