The district administration must be transparent about its measures being taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, said Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary D. Venkatesan.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, he said that at a time when positive cases were on the rise, lack of cleanliness and poor upkeep in many panchayats and municipalities was shocking. Rural bodies say they were starved of funds to even pay salaries to their staff. Though the district administration had been claiming that it had been taking numerous measures in its fight against the virus, nothing was tangible.
The Collector should convene an all-party meeting and explain the measures taken by the administration. “The new government has called for making it a movement to fight the COVID-19, but the officials are discussing issues among themselves,” the CPI(M) leader said.
Fresh cases were on the rise in Theni district and the numbers were threatening to the residents. But the actual deaths were not revealed by the authorities even as the crematoriums were overflowing. Ministers should visit the district and draw a plan of action to fight the pandemic, Mr. Venkatesan said.
Appreciating the frontline workers, conservancy staff, nurses and doctors for their services in these times of medical emergency, he said more Covid Care Centres must be set up with adequate manpower.
The officials should win the confidence of people and not simply impose fines or harass them, he said and urged the officials to increase tracking, testing and treating in the fight against COVID-19.
