Chandrababu Naidu blames State govt for deadly spread of Covid 2nd wave

Amaravati: TDP national president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday accused the Jagan Mohan Reddy government of pushing Andhra Pradesh into an unenviable position of being the worst-hit State in the entire country in the deadly second wave of coronavirus.

Naidu questioned the wisdom of the Jagan Reddy regime to go for the 10th class and Intermediate examinations at a time when their government was not in a position to provide hospital beds, medical oxygen, ventilators and even medicines to the infected patients.

It was the adamant and arrogant attitude of the Chief Minister and his Ministers that the lives of AP people were greatly jeopardised with the systems even failing to provide space in the cremation grounds to perform last rites for the deceased victims.

Addressing a press conference here, the TDP chief deplored that while the whole world was talking about the peak level rise in Covid cases in India, it was about the extreme dangerous infections prevailing in AP that the other States in the country were talking about. The inefficient YSRCP government has failed to take responsibility for the lives and health of the people.

This was why Tamil Nadu was demanding e-passes for entry into their State from AP. Whereas, Odisha was closing down borders afraid of the deteriorating situation here. It was alarming that AP's positivity rate has touched 25.8 per cent.

Naidu said that the Jagan Reddy government gave many GOs in a hurry in the days prior to the hearing of the virus related case in the High Court on April 27. However, the rulers had not shown any sincerity to ensure the strict implementation of those GOs which remained in paper only. The Chief Minister promised to provide a hospital bed within three hours of request but that had not been fulfilled anywhere in the State.

A 24-hour timeframe was given for giving Covid test results while they were taking five to six days. Quick reports were being given only on payment of bribes. GOs were given prescribing Rs 230 for rapid antigen test and Rs 490 for RT-PCR test but this was not implemented anywhere.

Stating that the government was giving false details, Naidu said Aarogyasri coverage was not being given at any network hospital contrary to the claims made by the rulers. The government was in such a helpless condition that a family carried the body of their loved one on a scooter for lack of a proper vehicle at Palasa. A 15-month-old baby suffered and succumbed for lack of bed and oxygen in Visakhapatnam.

The YCP rulers have destroyed systems like the RTGS which has now proved to be a big disadvantage. The Mahaprasthanam vehicles were cancelled which was why ambulances were now being used to carry dead bodies to the burial grounds.

Naidu advised the Chief Minister to give up his adamant attitude at least now and cancel the 10th class and intermediate examinations in accordance with the request from the students, parents, intellectuals, teachers and civil society organisations.

The examinations should be held only after the coronavirus situation was brought under control completely.

Naidu suggested that the government can consider imposing 'limited lockdown' for a week or 10 days so as to take up a massive vaccination drive in the meantime. The lockdown may be lifted once there would be satisfactory results out of the widespread vaccination. The State and the Central governments should together take the free vaccination forward since it was already long overdue.