CUTTACK: Identification of Salepur MLA Prasant Kumar Behera’s contacts have proved a tough task for the Health administration.
The MLA had come in contact with Nilagiri legislator Sukant Kumar Nayak in a meeting of Assembly Standing Committee on July 2. Nayak tested positive and so did Behera, his driver and personal security officer.
That’s where the problem begins.Behera reportedly came in contact with 800 people including police, health and block officials as he went around his constituency comprising of 35 gram panchayats under Salepur block and 13 gram panchayats of Tangi-Choudwar block in the last few days.
Besides distributing old age, widow and other pension to beneficiaries and relief materials to the poor, the MLA participated in different Government programmes and social functions including launch of works under MGNREGS, Jeevan Bindu blood donation camps, free health camps, wedding across his
constituency from July 2 to July 7.
Although Behera should have remained in home quarantine, he participated in a free homeopathy treatment camp at Satyabhamapur and distributed medicines to several persons after collection of his swab sample at Bahugram on Tuesday.
After the MLA was detected positive, six gram panchayats of Tangi-Choudwar block - Kotasahi, Uchapada, Harianta, Jaripada, Govindpur and Bhatimunda - have been shut down by the local Sarpanch. Besides, his native gram panchayat Sankarpur which goes under Athagarh Assembly constituency was shut down on Thursday.
Similarly, Bahugram gram panchayat under Salepur block was closed by its Sarpanch while many other Sarpanchs have written to the Cuttack Collector seeking a complete shutdown in their respective gram panchayats including the Salepur town.
Tracing his contacts, health officials have so far been able to prepare a list of around 500 persons in Tangi-Choudwar block and more than 300 persons in Salepur block.
Swab samples have been collected from 85 persons including 12 police personnel of Tangi police station, four staff of Choudwar SDPO, two ANMs of Tangi CHC and 67 others who had come in contact with the infected MLA in Tangi block. Their samples will be sent for test on Thursday.
However, no such initiative has yet been taken up in Salepur block. Salepur BDO Debaraj Sethi said health officials are ascertaining MLA’s primary and secondary contacts.
Those who have attained 55 years and are symptomatic will be screened on a priority basis, the BDO informed.