PM monitoring situation, Kerala will get all possible help: Nadda
Kochi, Sep 7 : All possible steps for extending relief to the flood-affected Kerala are being taken under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is personally monitoring the situation, Union Minister J.P. Nadda said on Friday.
As many as 50 doctors had been kept on standby for deployment in affected areas at short notice while 12 public health teams -- each comprising public health specialist, microbiologist, and an entomologist -- kept ready, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare told the media during his visit to a city hospital and a few relief camps near here.
The Minister said a stock of 48 essential drugs was also kept ready for dispatch in case of emergency.
He said that on the state's request, a first tranche of 48 essential drugs, weighing about 73 metric tonnes, was airlifted by the Indian Air Force to Kerala. These included a total of 2.25 crore chlorine tablets, 80 MT bleaching powder, and four lakh sanitary napkins.
Insecticides/larvicides and fogging machines were also mobilised. As many as 18,00,000 capsules of drug for prophylaxis and treatment of leptospirosis or rat fever were also supplied.
Nadda said that norms were relaxed and additional Rs 18.71 crore approved for the southern state through the National Health Mission.
He said that a 40-member team from National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences, Bengaluru, had been deployed to undertake psychosocial assessment and community-based care.
The National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi is monitoring the situation vis-a-vis disease outbreak. Event-based daily reporting for epidemic diseases is being followed from August 21.
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BJP councillor dies by suicide after being threatened by youths following party's bypoll win
Agartala (PTI): A BJP councillor of Dharmanagar Municipal Council (DMC) in North Tripura died by suicide on Tuesday after he was allegedly threatened and humiliated by a group of youth following the saffron party's victory in the Dharmanagar bypoll, police said.
Rahul Kishore Roy, who was also the BJP's Yuva Morcha mandal president, took the extreme step a day after BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborti won the bypoll for the Dharmagar Assembly constituency by a massive margin.
Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed shock over the youth leader's death and assured an impartial inquiry into the allegations brought by the deceased’s wife, Ananya Bhattacharjee.
"I am shocked by the untimely death of Rahul Kishore Roy. May his soul rest in peace, and also offer my sympathy to the bereaved family. I also assured that an impartial inquiry will be conducted following the complaint of the deceased's wife", the CM wrote on Facebook.
Roy's wife has lodged a complaint with the local police station, holding seven persons responsible for her husband's death.
"Soon after the announcement of the results of the bypoll to the Dharmagnar Assembly bypoll, six to seven youths attacked our residence at Chandrapur at 3 pm and started hurling abuses at my husband. They also assaulted me to hand over my husband to them," she stated in the complaint.
Ananya said, "The same gang returned late at night again, attacked our house and hurled two or three bombs. They also threatened to eliminate my husband whenever he is found at Dharmanagar."
Deeply upset by the attacks and threats, my husband committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling early Tuesday morning. I urge the Officer in Charge (OC), Dharmanagar police station, to investigate against these people for justice, she said.
"Based on a specific complaint, we have registered a case, and an investigation is underway. No one has been arrested yet," SP, North Tripura, Avinash Kumar Rai said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
