Rayagada: Efforts have been intensified to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among the tribal people of Odisha. However, the refusal of the members of the Dongria Kondh community at Niyamgiri hill in Rayagada district to undergo RT-PCR tests Monday as made the job of the local administration doubly difficult. So far 19 persons belonging to the community have tested positive for Covid-19.
Sources said, the vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) members expressed their reluctance to undergo the tests at medical camp set up here. The camp was organised by the Rayagada district administration near Parsali village besides Niyamgiri hill. It was decided that members of the Dongria Kondh community would be tested, officials informed. However, the situation turned out to be quite different. Members of the tribe refused to undergo the test.
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“COVID-19 does not exist. Nothing will happen to us as we worship Niyam Raja,” president of local tribal outfit Niyamgiri Surakhya Manch (NSM) Sakaka Ulaka expressed.
Officials running the camp held a discussion with the tribals in order to collect the swab samples. Even though some agreed to undergo tests, the majority refused to do so. “We will come back Tuesday morning again for the collection of swab samples,” Kalyansinghpur block development officer (BDO) Kalucharan Nayak informed.
PNN