ROURKELA: Rourkela lad Muktikanta Biswal, who is on his way to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, on Sunday received support from Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Muktikanta is on an arduous journey of more than 1,300 km to meet the Prime Minister and remind him of the promises he had made to the people of Rourkela.
No sooner had the youngster left Agra, the Congress president tweeted, “The PM promised Rourkela a multi-speciality hospital three years ago. Now Muktikant Biswal has walked 1,300 km to Delhi because PM hasn’t kept his promise and people are dying. I assure Mr Biswal: the people of India and the Congress party will keep the PM’s promise for him”.
Convener of Juba Jagriti Manch and Muktikanta’s friend Gopal Jena is keeping a track of the youngster’s journey from Rourkela to Delhi. He said after covering about 1,300 km, Muktikanta had reached Agra on June 14 but was admitted to Srinivas Hospital thereafter he fainted and collapsed on the road. Jena said Muktikanta was treated for stabilisation of low blood pressure and sugar levels and physical weakness, adding that a group of students from Jawaharlal Nehru University bore his treatment cost and also promised to make arrangements for his onward journey.
Jena said the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, led by Raj Babbar, has also extended moral support to Muktikanta. He needs to cover 200 km before he reaches the national capital, he added. Back home, Muktikanta’s brother Srikanta described the effort as a very courageous step for the cause of the people of Rourkela and demanded that the Prime Minister should clarify on his unfulfilled promises. Muktikanta, son of an idol-maker of Khariabahal area of Sector-2, had on April 16 left on foot to meet the Prime Minister and remind him of his promises to upgrade the RSP-run Ispat General Hospital into Super Speciality Hospital and construct the second bridge over Brahmani river at Rourkela.The Prime Minister had announced both projects in April 2015.