Maternal, children's deaths: BJP to seek judicial probe, SIT

The BJP is planning to launch an attack in both Houses of the legislature at the ongoing session, demanding a judicial probe into the series of maternal and children deaths. 

The party is also planning to seek the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the supply of spurious medicines to government hospitals in the state.

Former minister and MLC C T Ravi told reporters here that the government had completely neglected the people's welfare, as a result of which reports of deaths of women and children were continuing unabated. 

Earlier in the day, BJP general secretary P Rajeev demanded that the government was insulting the victims by announcing an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased.

“How can the government think in this manner? We are demanding that it must increase the ex gratia amount to the kin of each deceased to at least Rs 25 lakh,” he said.

Taking exception to Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao not visiting Ballari district where the highest number of deaths were reported, Rajeev said the BJP suspects that big kickbacks must have been taken to allow blacklisted companies to supply medicines. 

Therefore, the party was demanding Rao's sacking from the ministry, Ravi said.  

He said that the party's agitation under former minister B Sriramulu would continue till its demands were fulfilled.