Expressing concern over the lack of basic amenities in several tribal hamlets in the State, particularly in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district, BJP MLA from Asifabad, Palvai Harish Babu, has alleged that the State government was not concerned about the hardships being faced by the residents of these villages.
Speaking to the media at the BJP State party office on Saturday, he lamented that a newborn had died soon after a pregnant woman delivered on the way to the hospital on the banks of a stream on Friday, coinciding with World Indigenous Tribes Day. “Ahtram Dharmabai from Bandaguda village had to walk 2 km to cross a stream and catch an ambulance (108 service), but she had to deliver her baby after crossing the stream. While the baby died due to strenuous walking, the woman was shifted to Mancherial for treatment,” he said.
He added that the approvals for the construction of several roads in the forest area in Asifabad district are pending with the Forest department, as the State government has failed to pay ₹12 crore required as part of the mandatory forest mitigation measures.
Mr. Harish Babu said that the State government had not released a single rupee to the gram panchayats for the past nine months. “While ₹2,100 crore of funds meant for NREGS were diverted to farm loan waiver, ₹500 crore of funds from the 15th Finance Commission meant for gram panchayats were also diverted. There are no funds available even with the District Collectors under contingency or common good funds,” he said. The MLA alleged that the State government is focusing only on Kodangal and Madhira Assembly constituencies represented by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
