Encephalitis: Blame want of preventive healthcare
A few months back, a series of malnutrition deaths occurred at Nagada village of Sukinda area in Jajpur district. Now, it is the turn of Malkangiri where more than 30 children have died of Japanese encephalitis. This has torn the mask of the Government which claimed success in its health sector performance in the last economic survey report. There are hoardings and colourful advertisements in newspapers to endorse the claim. But the fact is 32 villages have so far been affected by the killer disease and the toll has reached to 35 by now. The disease is said to be carried by mosques and spread from the pigs. Villagers of Malkangiri are fond of pig meat (poke) and as such, they have piggeries in dirty and muddy places adjacent to their dwelling houses. Doctors working in Animal Husbandry Department should have created awareness about the diseases likely to be caused by pigs and mosquitoes, besides on use of mosquito nets. But that is never done and the work culture of the department will perhaps be better explained by Minister Damodar Rout. Be that as it may, the fact remains that the tribals have been left to suffer for lack of common medical sense about the preventive aspects. Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Health Secretary Arti Ahuja rushing to the spot to take stock of the situation and sanctioning a grant of Rs50 lakh to Malakangiri DHH is a contingency measure for some temporary relief, but much more remains to be done if the Government is serious to upgrade its health sector performance.
No patriotism in Kanhaiya’s political ideology
The Azadi Samabesh held in Bhubaneswar recently was hyped more because of the ABVP’s opposition than Kanhaiya Kumar’s presence and his status as the ex-president of JNU. As a student Kanhaiya’s baptism to the old cliché of communist ideology in JNU is not astonishing as some great communist leaders of the country have been produced in JNU campus. But his rhetoric and the tone and tenor with which he spits venom lacks patriotic values. His utterances on Kashimir and Sikkim are certainly anti-national and like beheading to cure a person suffering from headache. If ABVP does not oppose undemocratic and anti-national forces, there is no point of its existence as a powerful student wing of the country with a nationalist political party as its mentor. Kanhaiya, besides questioning the democratic system of the country, openly criticizes the Jawans and the defence service as the last resort of the scoundrels. He has gone to the extent of calling them ‘rapists’. In Bhubaneswar, he lashed out at the BJP Government and said it had failed to live up to the expectations of the countryman, extolling Naveen Patnaik and Nitish Kumar for snapping ties from the party. Opposition in democracy is welcome but playing to the gallery aggressively is not the way to get established as a political leader. Moreover, when communists the world over have been rejected with their ideals thrown into the winds, Kanhaiya is worth advised to reorient his political strategy.
MCl short of expectation on CSR front
It is easy to manage CSR awards for a private or a public sector company from various forums. But people of the peripheral areas for whom such activities are meant, are the real judges. Going by such yardstick, the elected representatives of five panchayats of Hemgiri block in Sundargarh district alleging MCl’s gross negligence in its CSR initiatives in the Garjanbahal area of Basundhara mines has come in for scathing remarks. The villagers of Mumura, Gopalpur, Tumlia, Balinga and Duduka, including the Zilla Parishad Panchayat Samiti members, sarpanchs and the ward members had appealed to the MCl authorities for some development activities seven months ago. But MCl is sitting over it though the company claims to be one among the best companies of the country in fulfilling its corporate social responsibility. Basundhara coal mines started as a pilot project in 1995 followed by another open cast mines and the third one known as Kuluta mines commenced operation in 2008. MCl produced 25 million tons of coal from this area and received the ‘best of the area’ award by the Coal India limited, its parent company. Despite these achievements, MCl has failed to address the genuine concerns of the people who lost their home and hearth because of the mining activities. Their dream for an inclusive growth of the area has been shattered and that puts a question mark on the CSR policy of MCl. The authorities concerned at all levels have been informed about the plight but either nobody listens or there is a lack of seriousness. It is wise to take cognizance of the brewing discontentment of the affected people than calling the fire brigade after damage is done. One cannot rule out smoke without fire.
No info from K’put DM: Rail route survey delayed
Three years on, the Collector of Koraput has not been able to provide the traffic information for which survey of the Jeypore-Malkangiri rail project is stalled. Collectors are supposed to be the agents of the Government and they are empowered enough to cull information from any source they desire. The ECoR authorities have asked the district administration to provide the feasibility report, technically called traffic information. The Railways have accepted proposals of the State Government for two projects which will cover six districts of Odisha and Andhra. Kalahandi, Nabrangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri are the districts from Odisha, while districts of Sukma and Khaman from Andhra are to benefit out of these projects which have already been entered in the pink book of the Railways. But non-compliance of the report by the Collector, Koraput has delayed the survey work. Questions will naturally be raised as to what the Government is doing against such predicaments. What Minister Ramesh Majhi is doingIJ The ECoR authorities have alleged non-cooperation of Koraput Collector for which the 390-km Junagarh-Jeypore-Malkangiri-Bhadrachalam project is virtually stalled. The Collector concerned needs to explain the delay. Is there anybody who can censure the Collector for such negligenceIJ