Nellore: Somireddy demands details of Covid funds

Nellore: TDP senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy questioned the state government about Rs 8,000 crore provided by the Centre and hundreds of crores of rupees donated by various individuals and organisations for the Covid relief activities in the state.

Addressing the media here on Wednesday, the former minister asked the government to reveal the details of spending of those funds. He charged that the number of Covid cases in the state has significantly increased only due to the callousness attitude of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Around 2.80 lakh of people are now victims of virus, he said.

He accused Jagan of sending a wrong message in the initial days of the pandemic by playing down its seriousness with comments like it can be cured with simply paracetamol. Now the state was facing the consequences of that laxity by competing with bigger states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu in number of cases. The TDP leader said this is high time for united efforts to control the disease irrespective of party affiliations and save lives.

"The Chief Minister is young, and he can visit the hospitals, care centres for providing proper guidance to the official machinery. But, unfortunately, he is not doing that. Covid warriors like doctors, nurses, police and journalists are now serving the state disregarding their own safety. The state government also has not made any statement on their welfare," said Chandramohan Reddy.

He said the state government had announced Rs 1 crore to the victims of Vizag LG Polymers gas leak incident, and Rs. 50 lakh to the Vijayawada hotel fire mishap victims. But there has been no relief to the families of people who died in government hospitals due to lack of amenities. He demanded ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of such people.

He said the state government should learn from Kerala government which is extending financial support the kin of deceased patients besides making arrangements for funeral of the dead instead of transporting them on garbage vehicles or JCBs.