Noisy scenes in Odisha Assembly over diarrhoea deaths

BHUBANESWAR: Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Assembly on Saturday over diarrhoea deaths in Rayagada district with Opposition Congress members demanding a statement from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the issue.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra said people in Rayagada district do not have access to proper food and live on mango kernel and liquor which is why they are dying due to diarrhoea. “The State government has become number one in implementation of the Food Security Act in the country but people in many parts of Odisha do not get proper food to eat,” he added.

Without ignoring such an important issue, the CM should make a statement on the circumstances leading to diarrhoea deaths in Kashipur, he said. His party colleague Tara Prasad Bahinipati urged the Speaker to direct the Chief Minister to make a statement on the issue. Independent MLA from Rayagada Makaranda Muduli appealed to the government to take urgent steps and depute a high-level medical team to the area as there is every chance that the diarrhoea outbreak may turn into cholera.

As the Speaker refused to give a ruling immediately on the issue, Congress members created uproar in the house which led to adjournments, once for 10 minutes and again for 15 minutes. Later, the Speaker asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari to make a statement in the Assembly on the issue on Monday.