Ranchi: The MPs and MLAs across South Chotanagpur and Kolhan divisions of Jharkhand on Tuesday suggested chief minister Hemant Soren and his government to turn their attention towards tackling the growing number of Covid-19 cases in rural areas.
Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda, Lohardaga MP Sudarshan Bhagat, Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahto, social welfare minister Joba Manjhi, state transport minister Champai Soren flagged growing Covid-19 cases in the hamlets, rising deaths due to the viral infection and lack of awareness among the rural population.
Munda expressed concern over the lack of doctors in rural districts. “There is no infrastructure. And now, all the doctors have been deputed to hospitals in the cities. The 108 ambulance service is also not working. With deaths rising in villages, there is a chance of mass spread as village people lay their dead to rest with all the rituals,” he said.
Ranchi: Thirty-two-year-old Ormanjhi village resident Rajesh Kumar, who has a disabled leg, is finding it difficult to make his ends meet owing to a lack of job and non-disbursal of the government disability pension last few months. His wife, who worked as a maid, has also lost her job making it difficult for them to sustain their family of four.
Kumar is not alone. Thousands of disabled persons like him are facing several financial crises during the lockdown in the state after the government stopped their monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 for the past several months.
To mitigate the crisis soon, the Jharkhand Viklang Manch (JVM), an umbrella group for disabled people, headquartered in Jamshedpur, had written a letter to chief minister Hemant Soren appealing him to release the monthly pensions. The government has assured to release the pension soon.
JVM president Arun Kumar Singh rued that people mainly focussed on migrant workers and the poor but hardly on the disabled persons
RANCHI: Thirty-two-year-old Ormanjhi village resident Rajesh Kumar, who has a disabled leg, is finding it difficult to make his ends meet owing to a lack of job and non-disbursal of the government disability pension last few months. His wife, who worked as a maid, has also lost her job making it difficult for them to sustain their family of four.
Kumar is not alone. Thousands of disabled persons like him are facing several financial crises during the lockdown in the state after the government stopped their monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 for the past several months.
Patna: COVID-19 has badly hampered the functioning of the government in Jharkhand state in the past five months with ministers coming under the grip of coronavirus at frequent intervals. So far, half the cabinet in Jharkhand has been affected by COVID-19.
Of the 11 ministers in Jharkhand, six have been infected by COVID-19. Minority welfare minister Haji Hussain Ansari, 73, succummed to the disease, while education minister Jagarnath Mahto had to undergo lung transplant at a hospital in Chennai after COVID-19 infection severely damaged his lung.
53-year-old education minister remained on life support system for 21 days in the local hospital and ultimately had to be shifted to Chennai. He is still under the observation of doctors at the hospital. The state government recently released Rs5 million as first instalment for Mahto’s treatment.