Oppn to protest faulty virus management

BHUBANESWAR: Opposition political parties, including Congress and the Left, on Thursday decided to organise a protest meeting against the failure of both the Centre and State Government to contain Covid-19 pandemic in Odisha on June 26.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the leaders of 12 political parties where steps taken by the Central and State governments to check coronavirus spread came in for strong criticism. Instead of concentrating on more tests, the Centre imposed lockdown and shutdown which did not help in checking infection, a resolution adopted at the meeting said. India is testing only 3.8 persons per 1000 people, which is one of the lowest in the world. The number of Covid-19 cases in the country is now the fourth highest in the world. The country may top in the number of corona patients if corrective measures are not taken, the resolution stated.

Alleging that the lockdown implemented by the Centre has made lakhs of people in the country jobless, the Opposition leaders said the short-sighted decisions taken to fight the pandemic is responsible for the present situation in the country. They also criticised the BJD Government in Odisha for ignoring the demand for increasing testing of migrant returnees.

Though the Government had announced to conduct 15,000 tests per day, only 3,000 tests are being done now. Migrant workers are allowed to go home without any testing from quarantine centres.

Besides, the Government has not paid the incentive of `2,000 to the returnees after completion of their quarantine period, they said.