Diarrhoea claims 5 lives in Rourkela, 120 hospitalised
Rourkela (Odisha)(PTI): Five people have died and over 120 hospitalised due to an outbreak of diarrhoea in Rourkela city, a health official said on Sunday.
Till Sunday morning, five people have died and more than 120 persons have admitted to hospitals in Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) due to the outbreak of diarrhoea in Rourkela city in the last three days, said Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM & PHO), Sundargarh, Dharani Ranjan Satpathy.
While two persons died on December 15, two deaths were reported on December 16 and another person died on Sunday, he said.
Every day over 25 to 30 diarrhoea patients are being received at Rourkela Government Hospital, said Sudharani Pradhan, director in-charge of the hospital. She said that the patients came in a very low condition and were in shock and did not respond to the treatment.
“We have not found any common source for the spread of diarrhoea. Our medicine specialist believes this could be a viral one,” Pradhan said.
The disease has spread mostly in the slum areas and nearby areas to Rourkela including Chhend, Tarkera, Panposh, Nalla Road, Plant Site, Labour Tenement and Birjapalli.
Meanwhile, the general manager, Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO), Rourkela, Pratap Mohanty said, “We are on alert and formed three teams to attend to any complaint. We are going to each place to find any leakage in the water supply connections.”
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Maharashtra government considers tweaks to Ladki Bahin scheme amid fiscal strain: Reports
Mumbai: A day after the Mahayuti coalition secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, attention has turned to the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme that played a pivotal role in attracting women voters.
The scheme, launched in July 2024, offers ₹1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women aged 18 to 65. The Mahayuti, in its election manifesto, pledged to increase the amount to ₹2,100 per month, a promise now under scrutiny due to fiscal concerns. With the scheme projected to cost the exchequer ₹33,300 crore from July 2024 to March 2025, bureaucrats are exploring ways to revise its provisions to prevent a financial imbalance.
Finance Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar hinted at the challenges, stressing the need for "financial discipline." A senior bureaucrat confirmed that plans are underway to prune the list of beneficiaries, citing the inclusion of ineligible individuals due to incomplete Aadhaar seeding and lack of required ration cards. According to the finance department, nearly one crore women out of the 2.43 crore registered beneficiaries may not qualify for the scheme.
The state’s debt burden is already projected to reach ₹7.82 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. Officials warn that continuing the scheme in its current form could impact the government’s ability to pay salaries by January. Despite these concerns, the ruling coalition is hesitant to reduce the beneficiary list, likely due to the upcoming civic elections.
Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik is expected to present renegotiation proposals to the new chief minister soon. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde credited the scheme for increasing the number of women voters and boosting the coalition’s vote share. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar also acknowledged the scheme’s role in mobilising women voters.
Other welfare measures introduced by the government include an electricity bill waiver for farmers and three free LPG cylinders annually for six million households. However, the financial viability of such initiatives remains a pressing concern.
