Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan slams Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik for failing to keep his promise

Members of the affected families met the Union Minister here and expressed anguish over non-fulfilment of promises made by the State Government after the incident.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik (File | PTI)
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik (File | PTI)

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday slammed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for failing to keep his promises made to the tribal families affected by Gumudumaha police firing in Kandhamal district. “Even after nearly two years of the firing incident in which five innocent tribals, including an infant, were gunned down by security forces, the Chief Minister has not kept his promise to provide jobs to the affected families,” Pradhan said.

Members of the affected families met the Union Minister here and expressed anguish over non-fulfilment of promises made by the State Government after the incident. They further complained that their village is still deprived of basis amenities like pucca road, safe drinking water, electricity and health services. While five tribals, including an infant, were travelling in an auto rickshaw were killed, seven others were injured in firing by security forces during anti-Maoist operation at a forest near Gumudumaha on July 8, 2016. The State Government had formed the Commission for Inquiry into the firing incident.

The judicial commission probing into the firing incident submitted its report to the Government in March 2018. The Union Minister urged the State Government to make the judicial inquiry report public without further delay and pay adequate compensation, including government job, to at least one member of the affected families.

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