CJP chief Dipke seeks accountability over children's deaths during MP visit
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Photo: IANS
Balaghat: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijit Dipke on Saturday visited tribal villages in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district and met families who had recently lost their children to infectious diseases. He also questioned the administration over the deaths and demanded accountability.
Accompanied by local youths, Dipke visited Adori, Korka and Bondari villages to assess the healthcare facilities available in the area and gather information about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the children, The New Indian Express reported.
His visit came days after the Madhya Pradesh High Court sought a response from the state government over the deaths of more than 30 children in Balaghat district, allegedly due to infectious diseases. A PIL before the court had raised concerns over overcrowded hospitals, contaminated drinking water and inadequate nutrition in the affected areas.
Speaking to reporters, Dipke expressed sympathy with the families who had lost their children and said his organisation would work to ensure that they received justice.
He also questioned the administration for failing to take responsibility for the deaths. According to Dipke, although officials had acknowledged the number of children who had died, no responsibility had been assigned and no action had been taken against any official. He said the purpose of his visit was to seek accountability and establish responsibility for the deaths.
Earlier this week, the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court had issued notices to the state Health Department, Women and Child Development Department, Balaghat collector and other authorities while hearing a public interest litigation.
The PIL alleged that children in the affected areas were not receiving adequate medical treatment. It also claimed that around 400 children were undergoing treatment at a hospital with a capacity of only 50 beds.
The petition further alleged that yellow-coloured water was being drawn from handpumps in the affected villages. It also raised concerns that children and women had allegedly not been provided nutritious food on time for several months.