Govt has failed to control virus spread : Ibobi

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 21: The State Government has “terribly failed” in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. People will now have to face the brunt of their “mismanagement and poor handling” of the situation, said CLP leader and ex-Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi today.
He was speaking at the flag hoisting ceremony for Congress candidate, Salam Joy who is contesting by-election from Wangoi Assembly Constituency. Salam Joy will face BJP's candidate and Agriculture Minister, Oinam Lukhoi and NPP candidate Kh Loken.
Blaming the Government for the rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Manipur in the past few days, Okram Ibobi said that the Government must give proper explanation to the people as to why there is a need for a lockdown now.
“Why is the State Government considering imposing a lockdown when other States have lifted the lockdown ?” he asked.
Asserting that the BJP led Government has ‘totally failed’ in COVID-19 management, the veteran Congress leader said that the restriction imposed in the containment zones is affecting people in the areas causing hardship. Once a person is tested positive, he/she should be immediately evacuated to a treatment centre. Declaring containment zones and restricting movement in the area will only give hardship to the locals, he said.
Questioning the functioning of the quarantine and COVID-19 Care Centres, he questioned if the inmates are given medicines and whether doctors and nurses are proactively assessing the cases.
Asserting that ‘mismanagement’ of the COVID-19 situation is the cause for the rapid rise in the number of positive cases, the CLP leader stated that there is a report that the State has spent about Rs 60 crore in COVID-19 management.
Ibobi then launched sharp attacks and questioned if the BJP-led Government has done what the Congress couldn’t in 15 years.
“What has BJP done that Congress couldn’t in 15 years ? Is BJP able to give 200 man-days (work days) to MGNREGS job card holders ? Is BJP able to reduce the NFSA rice from Rs 3 per kg to Rs 1 per kg ? What visible work has been done by the Go to Village and Go to Hills mission ?” Ibobi asked.
Further questioning the success of the Go to School mission of the BJP-led Government, Ibobi said the Congress had enacted the Right to Education Act and provided free and compulsory education to children from Class I to VIII.
Stating Congress would win the by-elections, he appealed to the people of Wangoi Assembly Constituency to vote for Salam Joy. He (Salam Joy) is a man of ‘integrity’ and is ‘true of heart’, who will bring development in the Constituency, he said.
CWC member and ex-Deputy CM Gaikhangam, MPCC president M Okendro, veteran politician O Joy, Congress MLAs and party workers attended the flag hoisting ceremony.
By-elections for five Constituencies including the Wangoi Assembly are scheduled to be held on November 7 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.