Come to Munugode only after fulfilling your promises, Nalgonda fluoride victims warn BJP leaders

Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party is facing opposition not just from political parties in Munugode, but from people who have been at the receiving end of the callous attitude of BJP-led government at the Centre. Having suffered for more than six decades, the fluoride victims of Nalgonda are now questioning the injustice meted out to […]

Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party is facing opposition not just from political parties in Munugode, but from people who have been at the receiving end of the callous attitude of BJP-led government at the Centre.

Having suffered for more than six decades, the fluoride victims of Nalgonda are now questioning the injustice meted out to them by the BJP government at the Centre, pointing out that the BJP cheated fluoride victims by shifting a national research institute that was promised to them to West Bengal, that too, after the State government had allocated eight acres of land. They also demanded to know what happened to the 300-bed hospital and special financial assistance that was promised to them by BJP national president JP Nadda during his visit in 2016.

Coming together under the banner of the Fluorosis Vimukthi Porata Samithi here on Wednesday, the fluoride victims demanded BJP leaders, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda to clarify over the status of their promises to fluoride victims before these leaders visited Munugode for campaigning.

“Our demands are apolitical. All the political parties have promised to resolve our problems for several decades. Only the TRS government in the State has fulfilled its promise and is now supplying drinking water under Mission Bhagiratha. Further, multiple irrigation projects were taken up to supply clean water to our agricultural fields which in turn reduced fluoride content in our food,” Samithi president K Subhash said.

Samithi member Srinivas pointed out that as the then union Health Minister JP Nadda had promised the 300-bed hospital along with the national fluoride research institute in 2016.

“After the State government allocated eight acres land at Choutuppal, the Centre announced that it would establish the research institute in West Bengal. Does the BJP have no concern for the fluoride victims and is it eyeing only electoral gains?” he sought to know.

Jala Sadhana Samithi president Dusherla Satyanarayana, who has been fighting on the fluoride issue for the last five-six decades, stated that the Centre had kept the river water sharing issues between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana pending, which in turn was delaying construction of irrigation projects. He demanded that the BJP leaders should first resolve the river water sharing issues to prove their commitment towards the people of Nalgonda. He also wanted the Centre to announce a financial package of Rs 1 lakh crore for fluoride victims and address the flurosis problem permanently.

Fluoride victim Amshala Swamy said till the TRS government was formed, none of the previous governments cared for the fluoride victims. He pointed out that the State government was providing pension and was also extending various welfare schemes to fluoride victims by recognising them as differently abled persons.