Anurjay Dhal
RAJKANIKA/KENDRAPARA (ODISHA): Call it Naveen Patnaik –Boby Das onslaught in Odisha not COVID-19. This was evident from the fact released by the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department on Saturday night. A look at the statistics will compel anyone to believe the above mentioned headlines.
Of the total 294 COVID-19 Positive cases reported so far, both Odisha Chief Minister Patnaik’s Ganjam and his trusted lieutenant Boby, who represents Jajpur in State Assembly, shared as many as 142 cases. Ganjam with 89 topping the list and Jajpur with 54 coming next putting Khurda, which houses Bhubaneswar, in third position with 50 cases . Out of 289, 228 were active, 63 recovered and 2 dead so far.
Of the new 17 cases reported on Saturday afternoon, 12 positive cases were detected in Ganjam, 1 positive was tested in Bhadrak, 3 positives were in Mayurbhanj and 1 in Rourkela.While all the persons tested positive in Ganjam, Bhadrak, and Mayurbhanj are Surat returnees, the person tested in Rourkela is from Within containment zone. All of them are identified to be males.While several measures are being taken by the Odisha government to contain the virus, district administrations are on their toes as they launch contact tracing.
A seemingly worried, Chief Minister Patnaik has deputed 3 senior IAS officers to man the troubled district of Ganjam while joining hands with district administration. The 3 IAS officers were P Anwesha Reddy, the Managing Director of Odisha Mining Corporation, Patil Ashis Ishwar, Managing Director Of GRIDCO and Hemakanta Sai, Managing Director Of OTDC.
Naveen had earlier did the same experiment when West Bengal returnees spread havoc in Balaore, Jajpur and Bhadrak while SK Lohani, Commissioner GST, Dr. Pramod Kumar Meherda, Secretary to Governor and SK Vashishth were given baton of Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore.
