Armed with RTI revelations that nearly 10,000 new leprosy patients were identified during 2013-14 in the State while Odisha was declared as a leprosy-free State in 2006, the Odisha leprosy Welfare Federation and several civil society organisations on Wednesdaywarned to stage demonstration in front of the Raj Bhavan here on January 30 on the occasion of Anti-leprosy Day.
Rights activist Pradip Pradhan here at a Press conference said the concerned authorities responsible for the leprosy eradication programme has misused Government funds by showing the State free from leprosy.
“In 2006, the trained leprosy workers number was decreased to 404 from 1,100 citing that there was no new leprosy patients were identified in the State. Now the number has come down to 75 only as a result leprosy patients are depriving of proper care and attention,” said Pradhan.
Odisha leprosy Welfare Federation president Duryodhan Sahoo said due to the corrupt practice of certain Health department officials leprosy patients residing in 103 private leprosy colonies were living miserable lives.
He also alleged that though the State Government has allotted a patch of land near Red Cross Bhawan for construction of Kusthashram since last few years, but construction is yet to be started.
He alleged that when the State was declared leprosy-free State, there was nearly 5,000 leprosy patients. “But the concerned officials managed to declare Odisha as leprosy free State only to get personal benefits,” said Sahoo.