As the state corona count rose to 757 on Tuesday amid the controversy over the procurement of rapid testing kits from South Korea at a cost higher than other states, TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu criticized the state government for ignoring his early warnings about the impending danger.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Naidu questioned why the state government had procured one lakh rapid testing kits from the vendor Sandor Medicaids, a Hyderabad-based medical equipment supplier. Further, the senior TDP leader asked why the the government showed that the cost of each kit was Rs 730 plus GST while the Chhattisgarh government procured the same kits procured for Rs 337 plus GST. “The government is now clarifying that that the state government had included a clause in the procurement order that if the kits are supplied at a lower price than the one quoted to the state, the differential amount would be recovered from the company. Does the government believe in transparency,” Naidu questioned
Jagan led AP government had bought the test kits from Sandor Medicaids Pvt Ltd which has Venkata Muralidhar Reddy as its director. He is brother of minister from Kurnool district, according to reports.
Expressing concern over the spike in Covid-19 cases in the state, Naidu stated that it is unfortunate that the 11 districts in the state were in the red zones.
Addressing a press conference, the state government had badly fumbled on different fronts in handling the current situation arising out of the corona virus. “I warned the government that it is not a good sign to underreport. I am again warning that if the government continues to neglect without realising the seriousness of the pandemic, Andhra Pradesh would soon be on the brink of a human disaster,” Naidu said
Further, the senior TDP leader who turned 71 on Monday, said the nation was facing such a serious problem in Covid-19, but the state government was busy in dabbling in politics and distracted by the individual whims of its leader, and is now confronted by a health emergency
of daunting proportions.
Confronted by crisis, Jagan had been trying to downplay the realities of Covid-19 while bragging about what an amazing job his administration has been doing. “Right from the beginning the state government has been mishandling the corona crisis, underreporting cases. First, the government ignored my early warnings of an impending corona danger. Later, this government brushed aside the concerns raised over severe shortage of sufficient testing kits, stockpiles of PPEs, N95 masks, ventilators and on the lack of urgency in organizing increased medical supplies. The government instead of addressing these issues is slapping cases against those who are raising their voices. The situation is bad, migrant workers and daily wagers are suffering. Farmers are devastated. The aqua farmers are badly affected and the poultry industry is crippled. Farmers are committing suicide due to crop losses. At this hour of crisis, the government seems to be too interested in thinking about holding elections, is this the time to about elections,” Naidu asked.
The former chief minister said the deadly virus can show up its ugly face from anywhere between 14 to 25 days, he said the incubation period in some coronavirus patients may be as high as 25 days. He said the state government has to mandatorily follow the WHO advisory of 14 days of quarantine for people who may have come in contact with other Covid-19 patients or may have visited affected countries.
As the state corona count rose to 757, the state government was fighting legal battles, while Cabinet ministers holding press conferences pouring vitriol on Opposition leaders, sacking officials for raising voices over shortage of medical supplies. YSRCP MP Vijaysai Reddy, for instance, has been busy over the last few days holding press conferences and leveling sweeping allegations against BJP state president Kanna Laxminarayana when he should be visiting hospitals, meeting doctors, overseeing relief works, rescuing migrant and construction workers.
