*Five deaths in adulterated milk tragedy: YSRCP demands health emergency*

Rajahmundry, Feb 23,: YSRCP leaders strongly condemned gross negligence by the coalition government following the deaths of five people in Rajahmundry due to adulterated milk consumption. Speaking to the media after visiting affected families in Lala Cheruvu, Diwan Cheruvu and Swarup Nagar, East Godavari district president and former minister Chelluboina Venu Gopala Krishna, YSRCP Youth Wing State President and former MLA Jakkampudi Raja, and Jakkampudi Vijayalakshmi accused the government of downplaying the severity of the crisis with “cooked-up figures” while ground realities indicate a far more alarming situation. They said at least 16 persons are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals, with four members of a single family reported to be in critical condition, and alleged that victims are largely from poor and middle-class families who are forced to spend lakhs of rupees in private hospitals.
Jakkampudi Vijayalakshmi stated that while the government claims only a handful of patients are being treated in select hospitals, field visits revealed more victims admitted in other facilities, including infants in serious condition. She described the incident as tragic and shocking, noting that milk—considered a source of nutrition—had turned fatal. She alleged that no public representative or senior official had meaningfully visited the victims and accused the government of focusing on political vendetta instead of public welfare. Jakkampudi Raja said many patients had been showing similar symptoms for nearly a week without the issue drawing timely government attention. He questioned why nearly 150 police personnel could be deployed for political purposes while no urgency was shown in addressing a public health crisis. He further pointed out that a two-year-old child has already incurred medical expenses of Rs. 8.5 lakh and that bills for several patients are nearing Rs. 10 lakh, while the Chief Minister merely announced Rs. 10 lakh compensation for the deceased and “washed his hands of responsibility.”
The leaders stated that all the affected families had purchased milk from the same supplier and demanded immediate medical screening for all 106 families who reportedly consumed the milk. They called for the state government to bear the entire cost of treatment for all victims and to provide substantial compensation to bereaved families. They also demanded that milk samples be tested in national forensic laboratories to determine the cause of contamination. Chelluboina Venu Gopala Krishna urged the government to immediately declare a health emergency in Rajahmundry, establish special wards and a dedicated call centre for affected families, and ensure coordinated intervention by senior health officials. He said the government must stop resorting to diversion politics whenever questioned and instead take responsibility for safeguarding public health. The YSRCP leaders warned that if decisive action is not taken, they will intensify their agitation on behalf of the victims.