BHUBANESHWAR: Congress on Tuesday demanded the establishment of a development council for Kandhamal and Gajapati districts for focused and inclusive growth of these neglected regions.
Members of the steering committee of the party submitted a memorandum to Governor Raghubar Das urging his intervention after the death of two tribal women in Mandipanka village of Kandhamal district after consuming mango kernel. The memorandum demanded the implementation of the PESA Act for the overall development of tribal areas of the state.
The memorandum stated that as he is the custodian of tribal rights, the Governor should visit these areas to witness the ground realities firsthand. “Your presence will bring much-needed attention to the problems, helping to set many things back on track,” he added.
Stating that the incident has exposed the severe food insecurity in the region and critical failures of the public distribution system, the memorandum demanded that food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra should be removed for making irresponsible statements on the issue without visiting the village. Besides, the district collector should be sacked for gross negligence of his duty and not visiting the village till now, it added.
The memorandum also demanded that the government should be asked to consult the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) for thorough research on Mango kernels, as they are abundantly available in tribal areas where people are actively engaged in their collection.
Stating that health infrastructure and availability of doctors should be ensured in these areas, the memorandum demanded that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act should be restarted and implemented to create local employment opportunities. This will significantly help in preventing migration, it said and added that a new administrative block at Brahmnigaon must be established to improve accessibility.