Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 20: Former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla today asked LG Administration to review its decision of reopening schools in J&K amid surge in Covid-19 cases and high mortality rate.
“What is the logic of opening schools when every day more than 1500 people are testing positive for COVID-19. How can we put the life of our children in risk? Are the officials okay with making our children soft targets? It seems some officials want to score some points for their own benefits,” he said while interacting with aggrieved people of Bahu Fort in Kacha Tallab as a part of his campaign to listen to grievances of people of Gandhi Nagar constituency on Sunday.
Bhalla observed that reopening of schools was not as easy as it is made to appear. “One thing is clear, parents will never risk the lives of their children by sending them to schools in the middle of the worsening Coronavirus crisis, no matter how much academic loss it entails or whatever it means,” he said.
“While babus are out with circulars suggesting reopening of schools this month, they are mum on explaining the rationale behind rushing through the decision to the anguished parents. Expecting school children to undertake social distancing and follow safety protocols, when top officers and doctors are falling prey to the deadly virus, is nothing but idiocy,” he said and asked the J&K administration to defer the decision of opening schools.
Bhalla urged four- member team of experts from the Union Health Ministry visiting J&K to ascertain the causes and suggest corrective measures to reverse the trend amid the spike in COVID-related deaths, to present clear picture to Union Govt for taking concrete steps to control the pandemic and related deaths.
Former Minister said that the team must visit Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Jammu to see how hospitals are combating COVID-19 pandemic, how are they equipped to tackle it, how can they make them better and how Centre can help improve the situation.
Prominent among those present on the occasion include Block President Jatinder Singh Chib, Vijay Singh Chib, Latish Sharma, Diwan Chand, G S Sodi, Balram, Sahil Shavotra, Pintu Sagotra, Amit Dalotra, Goutam Chalotra, Bittu Charak beside others.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
