Release white paper on performance in managing Covid-19: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Targeting the BJP government in Karnataka for its management of the COVID-19 pandemic, leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah on Monday demanded that it bring out a white paper regarding its performance.

The senior Congress leader, in a series of tweets, also alleged that there was "complete chaos and confusion" in the state as Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has no control over his ministers or MLAs.

"The BJP government in Karnataka should release a white paper about their initiatives and performance in managing the pandemic, instead of just framing new rules, regulations and restrictions on the public," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

The BJP MLAs and Ministers are openly flouting the rules of their own government, he alleged.

The LoP said that Yediyurappa has no control over his ministers or MLAs, resulting in "complete chaos and confusion" in the state.

Siddaramaiah's attack comes a day ahead of a virtual meeting with floor leaders of both houses of the state legislature on April 20, to be presided over by Governor Vajubhai Vala to discuss the COVID-19 situation, amid a spike in cases.

Noting that second wave of coronavirus is worsening day- by-day, Siddaramaiah said that the government, unable to control it, stood exposed in front of the people and was making futile efforts "to hide its failures."

"There is no bed for coronavirus patients at government hospitals..People cannot afford private hospitals, there is no oxygen stock and there is shortage of life saving Remdesivir drug," he said,

The Chief Minister is in hospital (for COVID-19 treatment) and the government is in the ICU, he said.

The government should have prepared for the second wave from its experience during the last one year, the former Chief Minister said and alleged that the BJP government "that used corona for corruption," has given up.

Chief Minister Yediyurappa, who has been infected by COVID-19 for a second time in eight months, is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar has urged the government to earmark Rs 30,000 crore for the health sector, in the wake of the rapid spread of the second wave of the infection.

Pointing to non-availability of beds, ICUs and shortage of Remdesivir and oxygen, he suggested that the government immediately stop developmental activities as the situation was worsening, and use that amount to control the pandemic.

"Necessary steps have to be taken on a war footing," he said.

Advising the government to effectively utilise medical colleges, doctors and health workers in the state, Shivakumar said everyone should be provided treatment free of cost.

The state had on Sunday seen the biggest ever spike of 19,067 new COVID cases and 81 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 11,61,065 and the toll to 13,351. The Total number of active cases stood at 1,33,543.

Out of 19,067 new cases on Sunday 12,793 were from Bengaluru alone.