Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jul 21:

On a day when three more infants were admitted to hospital for malnutrition in Odisha’s Nagada taking the number to 19, leading opposition parties Congress and BJP stepped up their attack on the government over the issue.

Pic Courtesy: Twitter.com/BJPOdisha Pic Courtesy: Twitter.com/BJPOdisha

Odisha unit of BJP, led by state unit President Basant Panda, today met Governor SC Jamir and submitted a memorandum apprising him of the Nagada malnutrition deaths and requested him to use his constitutional powers to address the issue.

“Today met the Governor of Odisha SC Jamir and appraised him about the alarming situation arising out of Nagada malnutrition death. I am completely dismayed seeing visuals and ground report by party colleagues who went there to have first hand information. It actually exposes the tall claims of development by Naveen Patnaik in last 16 years,” tweeted Panda after the meeting.

“It is highly unfortunate that Naveen Patnaik has never shown any interest in actual development of poor tribal of Odisha. Arrogant Naveen only inaugurates projects sitting in AC room while refusing to accept the reality that poor tribals are dying of starvation.”

“Despite huge funds given by Central Government under Supplementary Nutrition Programme under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), failure to spend central fund led to Nagada malnutrition deaths. In Odisha, we do have a government but without any governance, which is evident from the non implementation of government schemes,” he added.

Similarly, Congress also targeted the Chief Minister and the ruling party over the issue.

“There is nothing more shameful than this incident. There would be no progress so long as this Chief Minister is in power. This government only know how to blow its own trumpet,” said Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati.

Interestingly, former five-term local MLA Prafulla Ghadai -- who also happens to be the father of sitting MLA Pritiranjan Ghadei -- took the blame for the issue.

“The administration and the representatives of the people starting from the ward member to the Minister are to blame. I am also responsible. I have to apologize to those people. This government, however, has started work on war footing to fulfil their needs,” said Prafulla, probably in an attempt to steer his son clear of any trouble arising out of the situation.

It may be mentioned here that earlier in the day, for the first time since the issue came to fore couple of weeks back, the Chief Minister announced to form a task force to ensure another Nagada doesn’t happen.

“The State Government has formed a task force to go thoroughly into the entire issue and to see such incidents don’t recur,” said Patnaik in his one line statement.