There is a widespread resentment among the people as the Covid-19 hotspot Angul district has got very less vaccine during this pandemic period.
Angul district became vulnerable to Covid-19 due to its floating working population working for its mega aluminium, steel and thermal plants along with 16 coal mines. The district saw an alarming surge of Covid patients with a high death rate. When 15 districts including Bhubaneswar have received more than 2 lakh vaccines as on May 31, Angul district has received only 1,54,984 vaccines. Even districts like Jagatsinghpur received 7, 21,188 vaccines, Cuttack, 5, 96,380, Puri, 3, 30,220, Sundargarh, 42,8, 976 and Bhubaneswar got 81,4,918 vaccines.
Tweeting to the Chief Minister, the Citizens Action Forum has taken it to the notice of the Government regarding negligence in the vaccination of Angul district whose contribution in terms of revenue and oxygen is high. The district is much more vulnerable to Covid-19 and other respiratory diseases due to heavy pollution by the industries and mines. “The BJD-BJP combination has diverted the issue on less vaccination in Angul district. They most answer why we have received only 1.54 lakh vaccines, where other 15 districts have received more than 2 lakh,” told District Congress president Biplab Jena. Jena also told that 109 Covid patients of Angul died till date in a very miserable condition running door to door for a hospital bed.
Social activist from Talcher Kesab Bhutia told, “Even though people in the 18 to 44 age group were vaccinated in different places of the State, it has not yet been done in Angul. If Government doesn't have money for Angul district, then people of district should be vaccinated from the DMF funds.”