Bhubaneswar, Dec 2 (NationPress) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the opposition party, has accused the BJP-led state government of serious neglect towards students from tribal and Dalit communities residing in designated hostels since taking office in Odisha.

During a press conference at Sankha Bhawan, the BJD's main headquarters, party leaders reported that in the last three months, six students living in hostels in the Nabarangpur district have tragically lost their lives due to medical negligence. They held the state government accountable for these fatalities.

Pradeep Majhi, the party's Senior General Secretary and former MP, highlighted a shocking incident involving a seventh-grade tribal student who suffered severe injuries from a pressure cooker explosion in the hostel, which was compounded by a nine-day delay in medical treatment.

Upon discovering this incident, Majhi personally intervened to rescue the injured student and facilitate prompt medical care by alerting the district administration.

He criticized the BJP government for its failure to provide effective governance, stating, “The inefficiency of the ruling party is evident in every sector, leading to dire consequences for the citizens. It is extremely unfortunate that members of the Tribal and Dalit communities face such immense neglect despite having a tribal Chief Minister.”

Majhi described the pressure cooker incident as appalling, asserting that officials were reluctant to hospitalize the boy due to concerns over the government's public image.

He accused the government of gross mismanagement, noting that students in these hostels do not receive prompt medical attention when ill, with ambulances often unavailable for hospital transfers.

“In the past three months, six Tribal students have died due to inadequate medical care. In several instances, seriously ill students were taken to hospitals in auto-rickshaws, resulting in the deaths of three on the way,” Majhi claimed.