Leaders of the opposition parties including the Congress, the TDP and the Left Parties on Sunday demanded that the Centre supply adequate stocks of vaccines to people of all age groups free of cost.
At a virtual meeting coordinated by APCC president S. Sailajanath, the leaders said if the Centre failed to do so, the State government should allocate ₹2,000 crore for purchase of the vaccines and if the need arose, it should not hesitate to import the stocks from foreign countries.
Alleging that shortage of medical oxygen was resulting in deaths of COVID-19 patients in the State, they demanded that the government hold talks with the representatives of the companies concerned on ramping up oxygen production. They said the oxygen produced in the State should first be utilised for the medical needs of the local population, before sending it to other parts of the country.
Financial grant sought
In view of the financial crisis triggered by the pandemic, the government should sanction a monthly grant of ₹7,500 to ₹10,000 to the COVID victims at least for six months.
Their other demands included grant of ₹10 lakh to the kin of people who died of virus, ₹50 lakh to the families of the frontline warriors who did in the line of duty and inclusion of journalists in the list of frontline workers.
The opposition leaders also wanted the government to take steps to ensure decent final rites of those succumbed to the virus, free distribution of essential commodities and financial aid to workers, farm coolies and small time private employees.
It is time the government increased the capacity of beds to treat COVID patients by transforming college hostels into quarantine centres and PHCs into Covid Care Centres.
They also demanded that the ceiling of the financial help under the Aarogyasri scheme be increased.
All-party meeting
The Opposition leaders urged the Centre to consider implementation of complete lockdown in the wake of an unprecedented surge in infection. Mr. Sailajanath said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy should call an all-party meeting to discuss the pandemic situation and the road ahead, adding that the party would release a joint action plan on the pandemic soon. CPI(M) leader P. Madhu, CPI leader K. Ramakrishna, party leaders Satyanarayana Murthy and M. Nageswara Rao, TDP State president K. Atchannaidu, MLA N. Ramanaidu, party’s spokesperson K. Pattabhiram, Congress working presidents N. Thulasi Reddy, Mastan Vali participated in the meeting.
