Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojari on Thursday urged Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to declare members of local bodies — gram panchayats and urban local bodies — as frontline COVID-19 warriors and arrange their inoculation against COVID-19 on priority basis.
Submitting a memorandum to Mr. Yediyurappa in Bengaluru, Mr. Poojari said that there were over 95,000 members in more than 6,200 gram panchayats in the State and they were part of COVID-19 task forces at the panchayat level. These members are in regular contact with the general public visiting their houses thereby exposing themselves to the pandemic. Similar is the case with members of town panchayats, municipalities, city municipal councils and city corporations.
Therefore, it is prudent to consider them COVID-19 warriors and administer vaccines to them on priority, the Minister said.
Government approval is required to recruit additional 40 Arogya Mitra executives; permission to conduct RT-PCR tests at KVG Medical College, Sullia, to conduct sample tests from Puttur and Sullia taluks; empanelling KVG Medical College, Sullia, under AB-ARK Scheme; sanctioning cryogenic tanker for the district in view of shortage of oxygen; supplying 50,000 doses of Covaxin and one lakh doses of Covishield and appointing medical doctors and nurses on ad hoc basis.
Mr. Poojari also urged Mr. Yediyurappa to immediately release ₹100 crore to the district from the Natural Disaster Relief Fund in view of the extensive damage to property caused by the cyclone.
