The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA-Chintoor) authorities have handed over an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of the 14 persons who died of pedal adema since March in the Chintoor agency area in East Godavari district.
ITDA-Chintoor Project Officer A. Venkata Ramana and Rampachodavaram MLA Nagulapalli Dhanalakshmi on Sunday handed over cheques to the beneficiaries as promised by the State government.
“Each of the 14 families gets an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh. One lakh rupees have been deposited into their bank account while ₹4 lakh has been converted into a fixed deposit,” Mr. Venkata Ramana told The Hindu.
An exclusive cell has been set up at the ITDA Chintoor office to track the spread of the disease in the agency and the health status of the patients besides attending to their medical and health needs. “The cell is being run by a team of officials, including medical and health and revenue staff,” he said.
Awareness drive
On the other hand, the ITDA authorities in collaboration with the Police and Excise Department conducted an awareness campaign, appealing to the tribal people to give up consumption of the liquor brewed from ingredients collected from the forest.
“We are gearing up for a door-to-door survey of all the families in the Chintoor agency to identify the cases of pedal adema in a few weeks,” he added.
