Mumbai: The Maharashtra state cabinet on Tuesday deliberated on the 31 deaths at the government hospital in Nanded, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has called for a detailed report on the causes of the deaths.
"The state government has taken the incident very seriously. We have instructed the concerned officials, and the concerned minister has visited the place," CM Shinde told the media after the cabinet meeting.
Old people with ailments and underweight infants among victims: Shinde
Although the Chief Minister didn't divulge the details of the deliberations during the cabinet meeting regarding the incident, he said that the issue was discussed thoroughly.
"According to the preliminary information we have received so far, the hospital has adequate supplies of medicines. Rs 12 crore had been given to them for the purchase of medicines, and in fact, the hospital had excess stocks of medicines," the CM told the media.
"The hospital had enough doctors and other staff. Among the deceased, there are some elderly people and some underweight infants. However, I shall speak only after the complete in-depth report comes to me," Shinde added.
"A thorough inquiry will be conducted, and none of the culprits will be spared," the CM added while responding to a volley of questions.
Shinde on Caste Survey
Asked about the caste survey in Bihar and the Opposition's demand for a similar survey in Maharashtra, Shinde said, "Let's see the results of the survey in Bihar, and if needed, it would be conducted here as well." Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar did not attend the cabinet meeting as he was unwell, he said to a question, adding, "Do not draw any other conclusions." The cabinet reviewed the crop situation in the state and officials were directed to complete `panch-namas' (spot inspection reports) on a war footing where heavy rains have damaged the crops, Shinde said.
'Anand shidha' for Diwali
For Diwali, the `Anand shidha' or the essential foodstuffs provided through Public Distribution System shops will include maida and poha along with sugar, rava, dal and edible oil, he said.
This package of foodstuffs will be made available at Rs 100 in the 14 farmer suicide-prone districts from October 25 to November 30, and the cabinet approved an allocation of Rs 530 crore for the scheme, the CM informed.
Another decision taken during the meeting was to award scholarships for overseas studies to 27 students from the minority communities every year.
These scholarships would be available for post-graduation courses and PhDs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, pharmacology, life sciences, liberal arts, humanities, agriculture, law and commerce at foreign universities featuring in the first 200 in the QS world rankings, the CM said.
(with PTI inputs)
