The last day of the five-day winter session of Chhattisgarh legislative Assembly on Monday saw heated exchanges between Treasury bench and the Opposition members over the Judicial Commission report on the deaths of 13 women due to sterilization in Bilaspur district. Non-availability of currency notes in various co-operative banks of Chhattisgarh also witnessed heated discussion in the House and suspension of Congress party members.
Health Minister Ajay Chandrakar admitted that the deaths of women in Bilaspur district after sterilization operation was a serious incident and the State Government will try to implement the recommendations made by the Judicial Commission.
He was speaking on the report submitted to the Assembly by the one-member Judicial Commission headed by retired District and Sessions Judge Archana Jha. "The matter is pending in the court and the State Government is not trying to save anyone," the Minister said while adding, "let these matters settle once and we will do all in our capacity to avoid such incidents in future."
Referring to the incident, Chandrakar said that soon after the incident was reported, a probe committee was constituted and within four days, a judicial probe was also announced.
"On our request, a team of doctors from AIIMS visited Chhattisgarh and the victims were treated in best available hospital free of cost," he said.
On the issue of relief provided to the kin of the deceased persons, the Minister said, death of a person can never be compensated via money. However, Rs 4 lakh in cash was given to the family members of the deceased, 121 children were provided cash
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of Rs 50,000. Moreover, cash of Rs 3 lakh was fixed in the name of 40
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Bilaspur sterilization deaths: children who were orphaned and the money will be handed over to them as they attain 18 years of age.
For their development, a committee headed by the District Collector was also formed to take care of the children, he said.
Earlier, referring to the findings of the report, leader of the Opposition TS Singhdeo said that the reports clearly state that there were serious lapses on the part of the State Government that caused the deaths.
"Every point mentioned in the report is shameful," Singhdeo charged.
Doctors and lab reports of medicines administered to victims confirmed that there were poisonous substances in the medicines, he said.
Within 4 to 5 hours with one laparoscope, a surgeon performed surgery of 83 women in an operation theatre which was not in use since a long time and the surgeon himself was not sure about the operation theatre's level of sterilization, he added.
Earlier in the day, uproar was created in the House by the Congress members while alleging that payments are not being made to farmers against paddy procured from them. Refuting the charges, Cooperatives Minister Dayaldas Bahgel said online payments are being made to farmers through banks.
However, not satisfied with the Minister's reply, all Congress members along with Marwahi legislator Amit Jogi trooped into the Well of the House and were suspended. Due to the pandemonium created by the Congress legislators, Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal had to suspend the House proceedings for five minutes.
Soon after the Question Hour, CPCC president Bhupesh Baghel while raking up the issue through his adjournment motion notice, he said as per the paddy procurement policy of the State Government, there is a provision of online payment against the paddy purchased from farmers.
But due to demonetization, payments are not being made from Cooperative Banks and farmers are facing lot of trouble.
The dissatisfied Congress members later on staged a dharna before the idol of Mahatma Gandhi while shouting slogan against the State Government. Their suspension was revoked later on.