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Dimapur, June 2 (EMN): Opposition leader TR Zeliang has questioned the Nagaland government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a video shared on social media, the former chief minister said that he had questioned the preparedness of the state government to tackle Covid-19 in February during the budget session. The reply from the government, he said, was that it was well prepared to handle any eventuality.
Zeliang, however maintained that the ‘reality’ was far from the assurance given by the government.
Referring to the sending off of Tuensang returnees prior to confirmation of their test results from Kohima, Zeliang said that the chief minister, as the executive head of the state, should be held accountable, stating 'it is inexcusable and cannot be let off with lame excuses'.
"It is understandable that, as humans, we are bound to make mistakes in life. But when the mistake involves human lives, it cannot be termed as a mistake," Zeliang said.
He claimed that the decision by the government to set up a BSL-2 lab in Tuensang district was nothing but an act of appeasement.
Likewise, Zeliang said that the consignments of medical and lab equipment that were airlifted had initially made the people feel “somewhat safe”.
However, he said it was ‘evident to everyone that there was only little done on the ground level’.
Further, Zeliang claimed that the standard operating procedures (SOP) issued by the government do not contain any ‘concrete guidelines’. The SOP, he said, were confusing not only to the public but even for the officers in the field to implement.
“It is a work of half-hearted dedication as the government is not serious about the well-being of the people," the opposition leader said.
Stating that the opposition MLAs, who were also appointed to each district task force by the chief minister, were excluded from any decision making, the opposition leader said 'collective efforts are only in paper'.
Reminding that the lone BSL-3 in Kohima will not suffice, he reiterated that 'it is pertinent for the state government to procure high standard testing kits approved by the competent authorities and distribute the same to all the Covid-19 hospitals in the state at the earliest'.
Further, he said that the plight of the stranded Nagas is another factor that needs to be addressed. ‘Addressing in the media alone without follow-up action’ has brought more distress than relief to the people, he claimed.
Watch TR Zeliang's full video: