By IANS
Ranchi : An intense cold wave sweeping parts of Jharkhand have claimed more than 40 lives in the state so far.
In Ranchi alone, the cold wave took 16 lives while 12 people have died in Hazaribagh over the last month.
In the past two days, the minimum temperature in the state capital has dropped to 3.2 degrees Celsius.
For the second winter in succession, the government has decided not to buy blankets for distribution among poor families. But this year it has allocated Rs.3.2 million to district administrations for the purpose.
“Four months ago, we allotted funds to district administrations and gave them guidelines to purchase blankets. It is the district administrations who will now purchase and distribute the blankets,” S.K Chaudhary, secretary labour department, told IANS.
Politicians have been buying blankets and distributing them among the poor in this state, where nearly 2.7 million families live below the poverty line.
Chief Minister Madhu Koda has recently distributed more than 100 blankets in Ranchi from his own funds.
The situation has now become a political one, as the opposition come down heavily on Koda for not providing blankets to the poor.
“The Madhu Koda government is unable to distribute even blankets among the poor people. On one side the ministers are indulged in plundering the state coffer and on the other side, poor are dying due to cold waves,” said Arjun Munda, former chief minister and leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).