New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) BJD member Sulata Deo on Monday questioned the government's inability to track data of deceased and lost family members at the Maha Kumbh despite use of high end technology, including AI, at the pilgrimage site.
During discussion on Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha, Deo said that there should be a short discussion on this incident.
There was a stampede during the Amrit Snan on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on January 29. According to the figures provided by the Uttar Pradesh government, 30 people were killed and 60 others were injured.
"The president expressed grief for the deceased at Kumbh Mela. Whatever happened in the Kumbh and the situation that exists, there should be criticism because we know thousands of people have become homeless and are lost and cannot be traced. If we can see the crowd numbers from AI then why are we not able to see how many people are missing with the help of technology. Why is it not being criticised?" Deo asked.
She said that when there was water logging in Delhi on July 27 that led to the death of students, a short duration discussion was called on July 29. "There is a big issue that has happened in Kumbh then why are we not discussing it. We demanded in the morning as well that there should be discussion. How many children are lost, people are worried about searching for their family and families are in trouble. There should be criticism on it but that criticism is not happening," Deo said.
Escalating her attack, she said that the address to her appeared to be prepared by the government as no issue related to her state from where the president hails was mentioned in it. Deo said that in three women died in Mandipanka village of Kandhamal district after eating mango kernel payasam but it is not being heard anywhere.
"They too belonged to the scheduled tribes category. If we are talking about AI, Viksit Bharat (developed India) then why are we not talking about Mandipanka," she said.
The BJD MP also raised concern on the Polavaram project being developed in Andhra Pradesh.
"You appreciated Polavaram but you (President Droupadi Murmu) are the daughter of Odisha and did not utter a word for Odisha," Deo said.
She alleged that tribals are being framed in false cases and not being heard in matters related to a factory proposed in Keonjhar district which is the constituency of Odisha Chief Minister (Mohan Charan Majhi).
"You belong to a tribal community. At present there is a tribal chief minister from Keonjhar....Being a tribal it is very important to fight for tribals. No media is showing all these at present. No one is questioning the government," Deo said.
She said that the president mentioned about her government organising Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Odisha.
Deo said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come to inaugurate Pravasi Bhartiya Divas on January 8.
"Same day at around 9 am, in broad daylight a police informer Sahadeb Nayak was beheaded just 2-3 kilometers away from where Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was held. What is this? PM is himself there, NRIs are there. Police were there in all directions but if something like this is happening at 9 am during the day then where is the law and order?" she asked.
She also raised the issue of poor internet connectivity adversely affecting direct benefit transfer schemes.
AGP member Birendra Prasad Baishya during the discussion raised the issue of China's proposed dam on Brahmaputra river and called for serious intervention from the government in the matter.
"Now China has decided to build a big dam for power generation in Brahmaputra. Once they are built then they will divert Brahmaputra ,surplus water into China. If this happens then Brahmaputra will dry. Our civilization will finish. Our social life and economy will completely collapse," he said Baishya said that to save Assam, save the North Eastern region, India, the government of India should take up the issue very seriously with China.
"If necessary please raise the issue in the international platform for the interest of the nation, interest of the north eastern region," Baishya said. AIADMK member M Thambidurai on his part raised the issue of sexual assault in Anna University and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.
BJP members Ram Chander Jangra and Banshilal Gurjar also participated in the discussion. PTI PRS AS AS