Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday announced financial assistance of Rs3 lakh and a pucca house for the family of each child who died of Japanese Encephalitis in Malkangiri district.
Patnaik announced this at a public meeting at the DNK ground here. He inaugurated 20 projects and lay foundation-stones for 80 others in the district on the occasion.
Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi, MP Balabhadra Majhi, local MlAs, and the district Collector were present.
“I have reviewed the health situation in the district. All preventive measures have been taken against recurrence of JE. As of now, 96 per cent children have already been vaccinated and the remaining four per cent will be vaccinated in three or four days. I am very much concerned about the death of the children in Malkangiri district,” Patnaik told reporters.
On the other hand, the Congress and the BJP observed a Malkangiri Bandh separately, protesting the CM’s visit on the ground that he had not come to the district at the height of the encephalitis epidemic that killed over 100 children and only chose to visit the district for political reason due to the coming panchayat elections.
Due to the bandh, vehicular movement was disrupted and shops remained closed. Police had taken into preventive custody 10 Congress and five BJP activists prior to the CM’s visit. As many as 32 platoons of police were deployed in and around the town to maintain security during the CM’s visit.
But despite the tight security, 15 BJP activists showed black flags at the Chief Minister. They were immediately taken to custody by security forces. Congress workers blocked roads at different places by burning tyres. A scuffle between Congress workers and police took place during the bandh, sources said.