The Bengal government has sought a report from the chief medical officer of health (CMOH) of North Dinajpur on the circumstances that forced a migrant worker to pack the body of his five-month-old son in a bag and take it home in public transport.

Asim Debsharma on Sunday travelled almost 200km in a private bus carrying the body from Siliguri toKaliaganj, which is near his native village in North Dinajpur.

N.S. Nigam, the health secretary, asked the CMOH to submit the report within 24 hours.

Debsharma is a resident of Dangapara village in Kaliaganj block. His son was under treatment at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri and died on Saturday night. When he approached some private ambulance drivers, they asked for Rs 8,000 to take the body from Siliguri to his native village.

Debsharma also dialled 102, the national ambulance helpline, but didn’t get a vehicle.

After reaching Kaliaganj by bus, BJP municipal councillor Gouranga Das arranged an ambulance for him. He took the vehicle and went to Dangapara.

“I will never forget the ordeal I went through yesterday. I had urged NBMCH authorities and doctors to help me out but none of them heeded my pleas. I hope the state health department will take appropriate measures to make sure that no one faces such a problem in the future,” Debsharma said on Monday.

On Sunday afternoon, a team from the local block office went to Debsharma’s home and handed over Rs 2,000 to him to conduct the last rites. Debsharma, who had said that he had to spend Rs 16,000 on his son’s treatment at NBMCH, was also told that the administration would ensure that he got the Swastha Sathi (state’s health insurance) card at the earliest.

“It is an unfortunateincident. As he is a migrant worker, he didn’t get the card. We have made arrangements so that he gets the cardsoon,” said Kingshuk Maity, the Raiganj subdivisional officer.

On Monday, a delegation of Trinamul Congress leaders called on Debsharma and his family members and promised the necessary help.

The BJP has used the opportunity to slam the Trinamul government.

“The incident hasexposed the hollowness of so-called welfare schemes of the state government. We will file a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes,” said BasudebSarkar, the BJP president of North Dinajpur.

Asked about the incident, officials at NBMCH said they had started a probe.

“We don’t have any vehicle to carry bodies. The infant’s father didn’t approach the helpdesk or else, we could have done something,” said Sanjay Mallick, the hospital superintendent.

Told about the incident, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said at Nabanna on Monday that it shouldn’t have happened.

“There is no dearth of government ambulances. Hundreds of ambulances were provided in districts with MPLAD funds. There must have been some issue at the local level. We are looking into it,” she said.

BJP’s assistance

A delegation of BJP leaders on Monday met the relatives of Mrityunjoy Barman, the 33-year-old youth of Chandga who had died in a suspected police firing last month and handed over Rs one lakh to them.