A day after HT reported on poverty-stricken parents plunging red-hot iron rodsinto their malnourished and diseased children’s bodies in the absence of healthcare facilities in Jharkhand, there was no reaction from the state government on Tuesday.
Health Minister Baidyanath Ram’s mobiles were switched off, Health Secretary D.K. Tiwari messaged he had a bad throat and couldn’t speak and Deputy Chief Minister Raghuvar Das was inaccessible.
But the report was raised in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour by BJP member Nishikant Dubey. The MP urged the Centre to provide special assistance to the state — where the BJP is part of the ruling coalition with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
In contrast to the state government’s silence, HT received several calls and mails from people across India and abroad offering to help the hungry children. “My wife and I are interested in helping out and would be willing to learn about how we can contribute,” said Amit Sinha in a mail from New York.