Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sept 21: National Conference MP from Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi today said the Government of India’s response to COVID-19 crisis presented a grim tale of misstatement and ill-conceived decisions forcing millions in poverty and hunger.
While speaking in Lok Sabha (LS) under rule 193 on COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Hasnain Masoodi said the country’s retort to the emerging threat of COVID-19 presents a tale of mismanagement due to which the COVID-19 cases in the country have surpassed Brazil and now stands second to USA in spite of the stringent lockdown in the world.
“COVID-19 knocked the door of the country in early February this year. Unfortunately the Government retort to the disease was nonchalant and slothful. No attention was paid to the augmentation of medical equipment and hospital infrastructure,” he added.
Drawing attention of the Government towards the dearth of facilities and infrastructure in J&K, Masoodi said, “As far as J&K is concerned, the region has already been under a stringent clampdown and curfew post unconstitutional abrogation of Articles 370, 35-A. The subsequent COVID-19 induced lock down compounded the miseries of the people.”
“The frontline staff, and numerous health workers including doctors, nurses have been working day in, day out notwithstanding the deficiency of necessary life saving gear. The local administration had also failed to give a bump to the required infrastructure at the very onset. On my behalf, I released Rs 1.50 Cr from my MPLAD Funds in Anantnag constituency to enable the local administration to increase their efforts to combat the crisis effectively. However the dearth of ventilators, ambulances is still felt in every district of J&K,” he said.
He urged the Government to ensure necessary economic support to the J&K administration to address the exigencies that have arisen in wake of humanity’s biggest ever public health crisis. He also expressed dismay over the continuous gags on 4G internet connectivity in the UT and impressed upon the Government of India to restore full speed internet connectivity in the region.
On the recently announced economic revival package for J&K, Masoodi said the compensation announced was just 10% of the total losses suffered by J&K. “Every single sector of J&K is bleeding ranging from Horticulture to Manufacturing. The businesses are not able to pay their over dues to different banks. Many units are on the verge of bankruptcy, if the situation continues, it won’t take time for the local business to turn into NPAs. The recompense which is being given out is too less to pay off the losses incurred by J&K economy,” he added.
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