Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jul 19:

Leading opposition parties Congress and BJP today pulled up Odisha Government over the condition of tribals living in and around Nagada village in Jajpur district of the state where as many as 18 kids have died in past three months.

BJP nagada meet

A day after visiting the Juang tribals in the village, Odisha BJP leaders today held a press conference in Bhubaneswar and alleged that Biju Janata Dal leaders have hijacked Indira Awas Yojana scheme meant for the tribals.

“During our tour, the villagers told us that not even a single government officer visited them ever. We could not see even a single pucca house, school or healthcare center in or around the area. Biju Janata Dal workers get the benefits of the government schemes while tribals live in huts and their kids do not get a nutritious meal,” said BJP MLA Pradip Purohit.

“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik keeps showing dreams development and progress. We would urge him to take a look at the visuals to see for himself the real picture of progress in the state,” he added.

While BJP members somehow managed to visit the village yesterday, the Congress team that attempted to reach Nagada had to abandon their tour midway and come back owing to rough terrain and lack of roads. The party, that ruled the state for better part since independence, made it a point to blame BJD for the condition.

“The government keeps saying that we have built roads and provided drinking water to every village. But the truth is far from that. We were not even able to go there,” said Congress Spokesperson Sulochana Das.

BJD’s Sukinda MLA Pritiranjan Gharai, however, blamed the terrain for lack of government reach and said that the government is trying to get the tribals living in the hills to the planes so that the basic amenities can reach them.

“I have been to the village and have studied the condition there. Amenities have reached Deogaon and Ashokjhar villages downhill Nagada. We are trying to get the tribals to downhill areas so that they can get the benifits of government welfare schemes. Some of them even have given me a written confirmation and the district administration has started working on it,” said Gharai -- probably unaware that most villagers do not even know how to read or write.