BJP goes on the offensive

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jun 19 : Even as the State is getting no respite from the second wave of Covid, debates on credibilities between the BJP led State Government and Opposition Congress continues with spokesperson of BJP Manipur Pradesh, M Asnikumar taking swipes at the Opposition.
In a statement, the party spokesperson said the Congress has done nothing other than criticise the State Government which has been working relentlessly to deal with the pandemic.
The constant baseless criticism by the Congress on handling the pandemic is thus only an insult to the brave health care workers and people in the medical fraternity and Air Force personnel who have been delivering a range of medical equipment, logistics every day, he said.
The Opposition party was in power for 15 years and had they cared for the health infrastructure of the State, they would have taken some meaningful steps to improve the sector while they were in power, he said.
Asnikumar admitted that it is no time to indulge in blame game but it is important for people to recognise that Congress' incompetency, ignorance and greed are the reasons why the present Government inherited a dying health infrastructure.
He also noted that many Central projects meant for constructing healthcare infrastructure in the hill districts and other rural areas were used to full the coffers of many Congressmen and elaborated that huge amount of money were siphoned off without doing any meaningful work during financial year 2010-11 citing a list of projects-General Nursing Schools in Ukhrul (Rs 5 crore) Senapati (Rs 76 lakh) and Chandel (Rs 2 crore).
But at the same time, the Nursing school in Thoubal, (the then CM's Constituency) was built properly, he charged.
He also cited that Rs 1.7 crore and Rs 77.88 lakh was withdrawn respectively in the name of upgrading 50 bedded district hospital at Senapati and SDH Moreh to 100 bed hospitals and alleged that around Rs 41 crore was siphoned off from projects meant for improvement of health infrastructure when the Congress was in power.
There are many community health centres, primary health centres, primary health sub-centres constructed only on paper during during 2011-15 but are physically absent, he charged while adding that RIMS which had only 10 ICU beds until 2016 now has 56 beds and JNIMS which had only 6 ICU beds until 2017 now has 44 ICU beds. The visible development is what differentiates 15 years of Congress misrule and 4 years of BJP led Government, he said.
The Chief Minister's Hakshelgi Tengbang has also massively helped financially weak patients during the Covid pandemic.
Highlighting that the previous Government had left a debt of Rs 8707 crore when the BJP came to power, he said that the burden of paying the annual interest (Rs 544 crore) as well as repayment is on the shoulder of the BJP led Government.
Citing recruitment of more than 15,000 employees, he added that the financial burden left by the Congress Government is unimaginable.
Taking on the Congress State unit president's words about taxes collected from petrol prices, the party spokesperson stated that the money collected from the taxes in the past four years was not enough to cover the interest payment of the debt they left behind.
Mentioning fake encounter cases, hardships due to prolonged economic blockades and putting forth the factors behind hike in fuel prices, he maintained that the Congress party has no moral authority to criticize those who are working day and night to save lives from a pandemic the whole world is facing.
The Congress party's legacy from their 15 years rule in the State is rampant corruption, siphoning of huge funds from public projects, misuse of power, fake encounters and crumbling public health care infrastructure, he charged.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister N Biren and with the support of the Central Government, the people of the State will win the battle against the pandemic, he said while adding that history will judge those who chose to stand aside and bark rather than actually help in saving lives.
Adding that Congress party is a sinking ship with its own prominent leaders getting disillusioned and leaving the party, he expressed pity that the party which even today has huge resources and manpower in its arsenal is engaging in spreading lies and innuendos to confuse the public rather than saving lives.
Not everything is about politics and sooner the party understands it, the better it will be for the Nation, he continued.