COVID-19: Uttam Asks Congress Cadre To Plan Extensive Relief Operations

Hyderabad, April 9 (Maxim News): TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said party leaders to prepare plan for extensive relief operations as lockdown would have long lasting impact on people.

Addressing senior leaders of Congress party through a video-conference today, Uttam Kumar Reddy feared that normalcy might not return to the State immediately after the end of lockdown period which is most likely to be extended. Therefore, he said that the Congress leaders should prepare a comprehensive plan to extend help and relief to people affected due to lockdown. While the immediate priority is supply of food to daily wage earners, migrant workers, homeless and other poorer sections, he said that the Congress leaders would also need to work out a plan to help those who lost their livelihood or jobs due to lockdown. He said all Congress workers should try to inculcate hope and confidence among people who might be experiencing extreme trauma and pain due to loss of jobs and sources of earnings. He said that the fear of Coronavirus and the impact of lockdown would leave a negative impact on a sizable population and all Congress workers should play a pro-active role in bringing out people from that mindset.

Uttam advised the party leaders to carry out relief works in an organised manner. He said Control Rooms established in different districts should coordinate with the main Control Room at Gandhi Bhavan and everyone involved in relief works should be connected through separate WhatsApp Groups. He asked them to keep the TPCC Control Room updated about their daily activities and respond to the requests being forwarded to them for helping the people who are approaching Control Room.

He also demanded that the State Government release a ‘White Paper’ disclosing the real statistics pertaining to Coronavirus in Telangana State besides disclosing facts on the financial situation of Telangana State. He said it was unfortunate that people have started raising apprehensions that State Government was hiding real statistics of Coronavirus patients, suspects and deaths. He said such apprehensions were triggered due to the failure of authorities in releasing Media Bulletins on number of cases on regular basis.

Further, Uttam said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has been giving contradictory statements on the status of Coronavirus cases in Telangana. In his earlier press conference, the Chief Minister had even claimed that Telangana would be free from COVID-19 threat after April 7. However, things have changed after the emergence of fresh cases from Markaz. Therefore, he demanded that the State Government release a Status Paper on the actual number of positive cases, number of identified suspects and those kept in quarantine, tests conducted, untraceable cases, etc., Further, he said the State Government should also disclose figures on the availability of hospitals, beds, ICU units, ventilators, drugs and medical equipments, testing kits, medical professionals involved in the anti-Coronavirus operations and the estimated amount required to deal with the situation.

The TPCC Chief said that the Chief Minister should also release a White Paper on the State’s financial situation. He said it was hard to believe that a State like Telangana was unable to pay full salaries to its staff just due to a week of lockdown. Therefore, he alleged that the State Government was trying to cover up its economic failures under the garb of Coronavirus situation. He demanded that the Chief Minister disclose figures pertaining to the expenditure on anti-Coronavirus operations and also the likely impact of lockdown so far and in future due to lockdown. Except for announcing 12 kg rice and Rs. 1500 for nearly 87 lakh White Ration Card holders, no other section of the society which was hit due to lockdown was offered any help. Therefore, he demanded that a comprehensive relief package be announced covering all the segments which were hit due to lockdown.

The video-conference was attended by nearly 60 top leaders including DCC Presidents, Heads of TPCC frontal organisations and others. Over 20 leaders expressed their views during the video-conference. (Maxim News)