DINDIGUL
Former Revenue Minister I. Periyasamy has strongly condemned the “inaction of the State government in containing dengue and preventing resultant deaths of innocent people”.
Showing documentary evidence of dengue deaths reported in the district to media persons here on Monday, Mr. Periyasamy said Palani and Nilakottai blocks were the worst-affected. Why was the State government trying to suppress facts instead of taking preventive measures, he asked.
Minister for Forests C. Srinivasan denied dengue deaths in the district and threw up a challenge to produce evidence.
“We have lab test reports and medical reports of five persons who died in the district. Dengue deaths were rampant in Palani and Nilakottai blocks. Half of a hospital was converted into dengue ward?” Mr. Periyasamy said.
Two government teachers in Nilakottai were admitted to a Madurai hospital with dengue. A school head master residing in ward 11 in Nilakottai lost his only son, Ajay Kumar, on October 8. Another case was reported in Viruveedu. Dindigul Assistant Town Planning Officer Udayakumar’s son Nandha Kumar died of dengue a few days ago.
The government had started threatening medical officers not to mention ‘dengue’ in their medical reports. They were forced to mention ‘viral fever’ in the reports. Why should the Central team come to Tamil Nadu if there was no dengue case?, Mr. Periyasamy asked, and wondered whether Mr. Srinivasan would resign from his post following the production of the evidence by him.
The DMK had cautioned about dengue in March and party MLAs R. Chakkarapani and I.P. Senthil Kumar too raised the issue in the Assembly. But Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar replied that dengue was transmitted through Kerala pilgrims visiting Palani, he added.
The government was in coma stage. The Ministers had lost their conscience in trying to clinging to their posts. The government had no right to continue as it failed miserably in containing the disease, he charged.
