Statesman News Service
BALURGHAT / MALDA, 6 AUG: The state finance minister Mr Ashim Dasgupta's recent visit to South Dinajpur seems to have prompted the South Dinajpur district administration in holding camps to issue Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe certificates in the tribal areas of the district.
The minister's visit to Malda, however, has not succeeded in getting the malfunctioning CT Scan machine at the district hospital operational again. This, despite his intervention in the matter.
In South Dinajpur the district magistrate Mr Asoke Bannerje said that Mr Dasgupta visited Balurghat on 18 July and instructed the district administration to start distributing SC, ST certificates in areas inhabited by such communities. “We have received 1000 applications seeking SC status and 800 for ST status so far. Under the circumstances, we started the certificate distribution camp at Balurghat on 9 August,” the DM, said.
The non-Left political parties, however, allege that the decision to distribute such certificates now, is politically influenced. According to the Trinamul, Congress, Suci and BJP leadership here, the Left Front government is trying to make amends with an eye on the 2011 Assembly elections.
Ten days after state finance minister Dr. Asim Dasgupta's intervention, the district health authorities could not repair the CT scan machine in Malda district hospital where the poor patients are still depending on private clinics to avail this medical facility.
Mr Dasguptas visit to the Malda district hospital on 26 July and instruction to have the non-working CT Scan machine serviced has, however, not yielded any result till date.
Taking umbrage, the DYFI leadership in Malda wrote to the DCMOH, Malda on 3 August demanding immediate repair of the CT Scan machine. According to the DYFI leadership, the Left Front government's effort to provide good health care service to the people was being undermined by the district hospital authority's failure to have the scan machine running.
When contacted on the issue, the CMOH, Malda, Dr Srikanta Roy, said: “I am at Sasthwa Bhawan in Kolkata and we are discussing the matter of the CT Scan machine.
“The maintenance cost for the machine is nearly Rs 20 lakh a year and we are urging allotment from the higher authorities for its maintenance and repairs.” The CMOH, however, added that the health department would reimburse BPL beneficiaries CT Scan charges accrued from private organizations.
“The beneficiaries would have to claim reimbursement by submitting the bills.”
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