The Hindu : Front Page : Master plan for agency area, says YSR

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Saturday, Aug 06, 2005

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Master plan for agency area, says YSR

Staff Reporter

Chief Minister makes announcement after visiting fever-ravaged area

PADERU: On his first visit to the fever-ravaged agency area amid a raging controversy over the number of deaths due to malaria and other fevers, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy on Friday announced a master plan for development of girijan colonies and villages in the agency area of Visakhapatnam district.

``This is one of the measures to find a permanent solution to the problem. Since it is difficult to provide clean drinking water and total sanitation, particularly in respect of prevention of the mosquito menace in a cluster of 10 or 20 houses in scattered tribal habitations, they would be brought together in the colonies and villages. None should be left without a house,'' he declared.

However, the Chief Minister did not specify the funds to be allocated for the purpose or any timeframe.

Responding to a memorandum submitted by the Student Federation of India, he also announced a grant of Rs.5 crores for rooms, furniture and drinking water in colleges in the agency area.

Detailing other measures, Dr. Reddy told the patients at a mega camp organised at Paderu that vehicles would be provided to shift those who fell ill from habitations to hospitals.

Other steps taken included providing foodgrains under a food assurance programme, distribution of prophylactic chloroquin tablets and two mosquito nets per family and spraying malathion.

Measures would also be taken to increase the income levels of girijans. Girijan girls would be trained in fashion technology to help them take advantage of the opportunities created at Visakhaptnam.

He enquired from the patients at the camp about their condition and treatment details and also visited the wards in the Community Health Centre at Paderu and spoke to the patients.

Not a new phenomenon

Later in a brief interaction with mediapersons, the Chief Minister said that the incidence of fever was there every year and not during the current season alone. He pointed out that from 30,000 malaria positive cases six years ago, the number had come down to 5,000 during the current year, adding that the Government was aware of the seriousness of the situation.

But what the Government wanted was correct figure and not an alarming one, he said in an apparent reference to the controversy over the number of deaths.

A tribal action plan had been implemented for the past one year and as part of it, 13 primary health centres would be added to the 15 existing PHCs.

Dr. Reddy visited Vartulapuram in Kadala panchayat near Paderu where he interacted with villagers. He visited the house of Dambodu Ambulamma suffering from fever and enquired about her condition.

Several girijans narrated other grievances like lack of a pucca road and denial of benefits for family planning operations. Some youths also wanted computer training.

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