BJP attacks TRS govt over handling of COVID-19, relief to poor

Condemning the TRS government for alleged failure to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the State BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar claimed that the government was not conducting adequate COVID-19 tests and not providing required health care facilities to the people even though the Centre had announced a package of thousands of crores of rupees for Telangana State.

Hyderabad (Telangana): BJP in Telangana on Thursday hit out at the TRS government for alleged failure to contain the spread of COVID-19 and lack of special relief package to the common people.

State BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar, MP, also accused the government of not conducting adequate COVID-19 tests and not providing required health care facilities to the people.

The Centre has announced a package of thousands of crores of rupees. Has this state government announced any special package to give relief to the people because of COVID-19? Has this state government introduced any scheme as a special measure? Has it given any special fund? he asked.

Talking to reporters here, he claimed the Centre had provided funds to the tune of thousands of crores to Telangana.

When the Prime Minister announced a Rs 20 lakh crore package under Atma Nirbhar Bharat, the Chief Minister (said), this is bogus. This is a bogus package. The people of the state are especially observing as to who is bogus and whose package is bogus. This Chief Minister is bogus, he alleged.

He also said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was not "coming out in public" at a time when people were waiting to see him and work for them during the pandemic.

“The state government can seek more funds from the Centre if it needs, he said. Because of this chief minister functioning and inefficiency, a situation (requiring) imposing a health emergency has befallen this state,” the BJP leader said.

The BJP and Congress have been critical of the TRS government, alleging failure to check the spread of COVID-19 and for starting the demolition of secretariat buildings for constructing a new complex amid a pandemic.

Meanwhile, dismissing the opposition criticism, state Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav said the government activities were going on normally.

“When do they say the chief minister is not to be seen, what is their problem? Did the Chief Minister not speak to farmers in a teleconference yesterday,” he said.

Referring to opposition suggestions that some of the old secretariat buildings, being demolished now, could have been converted into a COVID-19 hospital, he alleged Congress did not set up any hospital when in power.

The TRS government has set up a special hospital for COVID-19 in the city, he said.

Taking exception to the criticism by BJP leaders, he said the 'failures' of the NDA government at the Centre can also be debated.

(PTI report)