Paradip, Oct. 3: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the civil and police administrations to furnish a compliance report on the action taken after two HIV positive orphans were denied PDS ration at Olaver village in Kendrapara district.

Taking strong exception to the denial of ration to the HIV positive siblings, the rights body asked the administration to prevent recurrence of such events. The direction comes after The Telegraph published a news report "PDS rice denied to HIV+ children" on its March 17 edition.

Earlier, the Odisha Human Rights Commission had issued a similar direction for the compliance of an action-taken report.

A retailer had denied ration under the government's food distribution system to the siblings because of the fear of contracting the disease. The incident had created a furore across the state.

Kendrapara collector Debendra Prasad Das said: "An administrative inquiry has already been conducted into the alleged ill-treatment to the HIV positive orphan siblings. The accused PDS stockist has already been removed. We will appraise the human rights watchdog of the measures initiated by the administration to protect the rights of the siblings."

Sub-divisional police officer Purna Chandra Pradhan said: "The local police are probing into the incident. We will submit a compliance report as directed by the NHRC."

"The government agencies need to reflect in their reports the action taken to sensitise and educate the people with regard to misconceptions about HIV positive people. The government agencies concerned need to initiate more vigorous and stringent steps to fight the situation in the larger interest of protecting the human rights of persons afflicted with HIV/AIDS," said social activist Biswapriya Kanungo.

The infected siblings had lost their parents to the same disease in 2005. Moved by their plight, former President APJ Abdul Kalam had dispatched a draft of Rs 20,000 in June 2005 and also spurred the local administration to help out the siblings.