The Opposition Congress on Tuesday hit out at the State Government over the issue of Jaundice outbreak in parts of Chhattisgarh. State Congress president Bhupesh Baghel and leader of Opposition TS Singh Deo said it was an act of criminal negligence on part of the State Government which related to the matter of public health.

It appears that the priority of the Government is not to meet the basic requirement of the people of State, they said. The Health Mission budget has been dogged by corruption and serious misconduct. The Government seems to be taking much interest only in building the drains while keeping its eyes closed over cleaning them, the two leaders said.

The Anicuts built in the course of rivers across the State have become breeding ground for virus, germs and mosquitoes which causes diseases such as Jaundice, they said. The Government has also not made any plan to set up sewage treatment plants to deal with the polluted water.

The BJP Government seems to have focused on the development of Naya Raipur where no one has gone to live. The intention of the Government is not to address the problems of the common men who have been fighting with issues like water and electricity, they said.

The leaders also accused the Government of devoting all its energy in the beautification of the city and other symbolic changes, while ignoring the basic problems of the common people.

They said the Government has failed to provide clean drinking water and hygienic environment to the people. It is the primary responsibility of a Government to provide clean drinking water to its people. But the  BJP Government is reluctant to perform its responsibility, they said.

The Government also did not bother to create awareness among the people. It should have circulated leaflets, pamphlets, posters and issued advertisements in newspapers and other media, while advising the people how to deal with the situation, they said.

This has been evident from the fact that four people have died of Jaundice while hundreds of others have been admitted in the hospitals, the leaders stated.

The Government has been claiming that it has been spending crores of rupees for chlorination of water, but in reality people are forced to drink contaminated water, they said.