BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Thursday targeted the state government for the death of 11 Juang tribals of Jantati villages under Banspal block of Keonjhar district in a span of nearly two months due to health-related issues.
Opposition chief whip and Keonjhar MLA Mohan Majhi, who led a fact-finding team to the village, said that basic amenities are yet to reach the people who belong to particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs). While health services are non-existent as the nearest primary health centre is 15 km away and the block headquarters about 40 km away, none of the tribals was a beneficiary of the state-sponsored Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).
“We found insects floating in the water of the only overhead tank in the village. The water with a foul smell was not fit for consumption. Since the villagers have no other option they use water from local streams and other natural sources. They very often fall sick due to consumption of contaminated water and the local administration is oblivious to their problems,” Majhi said.
This is despite the fact that Keonjhar district has the highest collection of district mineral foundation (DMF) funds. The district has so far collected Rs 10,258 crore. The money should have been utilised in priority sectors like safe drinking water supply, health services and education, he said.
The BJP team also found that many families of the village are yet to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as they were still living in kutcha houses. Some of them complained that their applications for pensions under different schemes are yet to be considered.