Cong slams EC, TRS for sudden civic poll plan

The Congress on Friday slammed the State Election Commission (SEC) and the TRS government for announcing the schedule for holding elections to two municipal corporations and five municipalities suddenly amid the second wave of

Covid-19.

“It looks ridiculous that the SEC has announced the poll schedule within two hours after the education department announced cancellation of SSC exams and postponement of Untermediate exams because of the Covid19 situation. The double standards of Chief Minister K, Chandrashekar Rao are puzzling. The TRS government shuts down schools, but permits liquor shops to operate till late in the night,” former minister Mohammed Ali

Shabbir said.

Shabbir Ali demanded that the government declare a medical emergency in view of the alarming rise in Covid cases and deaths. He also demanded postponement of municipal elections.

He said that the state government had failed to deal with the Covid19 situation.

He said no beds were available either in government or private hospitals,. Further, there was a huge shortage of oxygen in many government hospitals. Ventilator beds were not available even at a premium, he alleged.

The Congress leader said that there was a huge contradiction in the claims being made by health minister Etala Rajendar regarding the availability of facilities in government hospitals and the real situation.

He said that the minister is not even aware of the available bed strength in the state.

Citing an instance, he said that a mandal president of the Congress from Kamareddy district was admitted for Covid treatment and doctors recommended that he be shifted to any major hospital in Hyderabad.

The media bulletin showed that over 2,500 beds were vacant in GHMC limits, which included 1,466 in Gandhi Hospital and

806 in TIMS.

He said he personally spoke to the health minister seeking his intervention for admission for the Kamareddy leader, but all those efforts proved futile.

The Congress leader accused the TRS government of hiding real statistics pertaining to

Covid-19 cases and deaths. Similarly, he said that the details of healthcare facilities were also being exaggerated.