Raipur, Dec 23 (IANS) The Chhattisgarh government admitted in the state assembly Friday that 44 persons were blinded after they were operated upon at a government health camp in September.

'As many as 44 persons were blinded after being operated upon at an eye operation camp organised by the state government at Balod in Durg district between Sep 22-Sep 30,' state Health Minister Amar Agrawal said in a written reply.

He informed the house that no one died due to the operation and the government had paid Rs.50,000 as compensation to each of the 44 persons blinded in one eye.

Chhattisgarh's opposition Congress that has 39 members in a 90-member house has been boycotting Agrawal in the assembly since Dec 15 when the house's winter session began.

The Congress said that it was forced to boycott the minister as he offered 'irresponsible and insulting statements in the media towards those poor people blinded at the Durg government camp'. The minister said he had been misquoted by the media.

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