BJP wants HC judge to probe outbreak

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 10

The BJP today demanded judicial enquiry by a sitting High Court judge to fix the responsibility for jaundice outbreak in Shimla town and the adjoining areas and sought compensation for the deceased and patients suffering from the disease.

Former BJP state president and sitting MLA from Shimla Suresh Bhardwaj said the negligence on the party of the Irrigation and Public Health Department (I&PH), Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Pollution Control Board (PCB) led to the outbreak of jaundice in an epidemic form. The families, who lost their near and dear ones, should be adequately compensated. Free treatment should be given to the persons suffering from jaundice while the employees afflicted with the disease should be given special medical leave.

Addressing media persons here today, Bhardwaj claimed that about 15,000 persons are affected by the disease and six persons have died so far. He termed the registration of case and arrest of a few persons by Special Investigation Team (SIT) an eyewash and added that action should be taken against those responsible.

Alleging that even after the situation had turned so grave, the government was not serious. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who recently visited Junga, did not have time to visit the sewerage treatment plant (STP).

“The government has itself confessed that the cases of jaundice would continue till February 15 but we apprehend cases are likely till the end of February”, the BJP leader. He suggested that the schools should be closed till February 20.

He said that on December 23 last a meeting was held which was attended by the officials of the SMC, the IPH and Programme Officer, Epidemics, but the minutes of the meeting were not disclosed and questioned how the samples of contaminated water were passed. Questioning the role of state disaster management authority and disaster cell of the SMC, Bhardwaj asked what steps had been taken to find the cause of the outbreak of the disease and the precautions and the preventive steps taken. He raised objections over setting up of the STP at Malyana in 2005, which was just six km from the main water source of Ashwani Khud and posed grave threat of water contamination.