Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan attending a function in Jajpur on Monday, in reaction to the Jajpur district Collector’s affidavit in the Orissa High Court denying the infant deaths at Nagada village due to malnutrition, condemned the apathy of the State Government towards the incident.
The ruling party’s apathy, negligence and irresponsibility towards the deaths in Nagada is a clear sign of its reticent emotions, said Pradhan.
“The Naveen Patnaik Government has failed in discharging its responsibilities in the State. An arrogant and inept Government can only make a statement like this on children’s deaths,” said the Union Minister.
Reacting to Pradhan’s allegations, BJD spokesperson Amar Satpathy said the party won with a thumping majority in the rural polls in the district which shows people has faith in the Naveen Government.
“The incident should not be politicised. The State Government has constructed a motorable road and set up a task force to investigate into the deaths, Satpathy added.
Notably, the death of 19 children in the village within three months had created a furor in the State. While opposition parties in the State have been staunchly claiming that the children died of malnutrition, the Jajpur Collector claimed the deaths were due to fever, malaria and sepsis in the affidavit.