Dual power system creating hurdles in response to health crisis in Rajouri: MLA Javid Iqbal Chowdhary

A patient from the Badhal village being taken to a hospital amid the deaths of at least 17 people belonging to three families, under suspicious circumstances, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, on January 22, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

National Conference (NC) leader Javid Iqbal Chowdhary, and MLA of Badhal constituency of Rajouri — a region affected by a mysterious illness that has left 17 dead, on Thursday (January 23, 2025) alleged that the dual power system was creating hurdles in response to the crisis.

“There is a political tussle between the Centre and the J&K government. There is a dual power system, which is creating hurdles to address the crisis. The Chief Minister does not have complete powers. Top bureaucracy is not under the CM. There is a blame game. Unfortunately, people are suffering,” he said.

He claimed that the three more affected locals could not be shifted to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, because of “ego clash”.

“The current crisis should be declared as a national emergency. There should be no politics over it or any ego clash. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, we could not shift two affected girls to Chandigarh. This was in spite of the referral letter by the Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri. The dual power system is playing with the common man’s lives. People need to awake and end this dual power,” the MLA said.

Also read | Mystery behind 17 deaths in J&K’s Rajouri will be resolved soon: Omar Abdullah

The NC MLA said the affected people need to be shifted to Chandigarh because “the PGIMER offers advanced treatment and fast testing facility”. “The patient, Ajaz Ahmad, who was shifted to the PGIMER, Chandigarh, was responding well to the medication. He is stable now. One of the three girls, who were admitted to the Government Medical College, Jammu, needs to be shifted too,” Mr. Chowdhary said.

The MLA has demanded a permanent air ambulance for the affected area and additional medical staff for the health facility in Rajouri’s Badhal village. “We are serious about the crisis and working round the clock. We expect a breakthrough soon. The quarantine centre set up is to break the food chain of the affected population. It seems neurotoxins were making way through the food chain among the population,” he added.

Meanwhile, official sources said the proposal moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to announce an ex-gratia to the affected families was pending for approval before the Raj Bhawan.

As many as 17 people have died and at least 31 affected due to inexplicable illness in the past 50 days in the village. Badhal is a hilly village about 55 km from Rajouri’s headquarters and 145 km from Jammu city. Multiple local and national testing agencies have ruled out any spread of disease so far. Most of the patients, according to officials, complained of high fever, body ache, vomiting and unconsciousness.