Deaths are being reported and a large number of people are suffering from diarrhoea, malaria and other seasonal diseases in the Visakha Agency but the Government has not taken any steps to control the problem and provide relief to the Girijans, district Congress president and former Tribal Welfare Minister P. Balaraju said on Monday.
Mr. Balaraju, who is on a tour of the Visakha Agency slammed the government’s claim that the number of malaria and other cases had reduced, saying that the actual number was not being recorded.
A ploy?He also feels this is a ploy to make the Girijans leave the Agency so that the way for bauxite mining is cleared.
“I suspect that the NDA government wants to create fear and threaten the people by not coming to their aid through remedial measures so that they leave the area.”
“Responsible leaders and officials are not visiting this area afraid of being pulled up by the Girijans. The leaders say Visakhapatnam is a beautiful city and praise the people saying they are very nice and docile but they should realise that the rural and Agency areas are also part of the district,” Mr. Balaraju told The Hindu .
Three persons died in Addumada and four in Nimmalapadu in Hukumpeta mandal, and deaths are reported from Dooruveedhi in Pedabayalu mandal and Jallurimetta in Chintapalli mandal, all due to diarrhoea, and this information has been provided by the government staff and officials, according to Mr. Balaraju.
Families of the patients and those who died during this season of diarrhoea told him that the PHCs and CHCs do not have doctors and paramedical staff on a regular basis, medicines are not available and worse they are made to buy saline bottles outside.
‘Gross negligence’“It is a case of gross negligence. It is also imperative on the part of the Government to provide some relief to the families of the patients and of the deceased. It is necessary for the rulers to understand that the climate and other conditions in the Agency are different from the plains area,” he said.
The Congress party has provided rice and other items to the families in some villages.
