Palike has no answers to Congress leaders’ tough posers on Covid situation

BENGALURU: Opposition Congress leaders on Wednesday put BBMP West Zone officials on the mat, asking them where the money meant for medical kits for home isolated patients had gone. The officials did not seem to have any convincing answers, at a meeting on the Covid situation. 

Even as Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan and Revenue Minister R Ashoka tried to handle the situation, BBMP officials had no answers to some tough questions posed by Dinesh Gundu Rao and Zameer Ahmed. Their query for statistics how many from West Zone had tested positive, how many were in hospital and how many were in home isolation drew no response. They asked why giving out of medical kits had stopped and what became of the Rs 25 lakh given to each assembly constituency to handle Covid.

“What have you done with Rs 25 lakh? Why have you not given any medical kits yet to patients? Last time, the situation was much better, as home medical kits were given and roads were sanitised. What have you done with the money,” asked Rao. West Zone officials tried to explain that the money was used to get masks, gloves, PPE kits, sanitiser and disinfectant. The Congress leaders were not convinced. 

Zameer also asked why vaccination had come down at a time when it was crucial, especially with the Central government opening up vaccination for all those above 18 years of age. Ashwath Narayan asked how those on home isolation were being monitored and how many times they were being contacted.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta agreed that zonal commissioners, zonal coordinators and appointed IAS officers should take over and ensure that work is carried out. “We will back them up as and when required. The officials should act immediately,” he said. On the issue of why medical kits were stopped, Guptasaid: “Procurement is still being done. The medicines have changed from last year to this year. So while some drugs are available with PHCs, some are yet to be obtained due to the variants.”