BHUBANESWAR:  Blame game between the BJD and BJP over COVID-19 management in the State continued on Tuesday with the latter criticising the State Government for not carrying out the required number of tests to detect infected persons.

The BJP targeted the Government by alleging that it is failing to reach its own test target. State general secretary Golak Mohapatra alleged that while Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced testing capacity will be increased to 15,000 per day, maximum 3828 tests were conducted on June 13.

So far, Odisha has conducted two lakh tests. On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh has managed to test 15,000 persons daily, he said and added that the number of tests in the neighbouring state has crossed five lakh.

Referring to Ganjam, the BJP leader alleged that infection has spread in the district because of laxity on the part of administration to enforce restrictions on traders and businessmen. After shops and markets were allowed to open, people thronged those places leading to spread of the coronavirus, he alleged.

Mohapatra demanded that all the migrant workers in quarantine centres should be tested. He said persons who have been released from the Covid-19 hospitals after recovery should also be tested again.

BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra rubbished Mohapatra’s allegations and said BJP should not do petty politics when the country is fighting the pandemic. Besides, Odisha is in a better position because of the Government strategy to open temporary medical centers (TMCs) which none of the states have done, he said.

"No other state has been able to take charge of the migrant workers up to the panchayat level by opening TMCs," Patra claimed and said Odisha is doing COVID-19 testing for symptomatic persons and random tests as per ICMR guidelines.

On the COVID testing capacity, the BJD leader said it has been increased to 15,000 per day but Odisha is undertaking the tests as per ICMR and Government of India guidelines. The same procedure is also followed by BJP and Congress ruled states and Opposition must do some homework before levelling such allegations, Patra added.