Meghalaya Mahila Congress questions govt's rationale of imposing sudden lockdown

SHILLONG: 

The Meghalaya state president of Mahila Pradesh Congress Committee Joplyn S. Shylla has questioned the rationale of imposing a lockdown at such a short notice without giving a day for daily wagers to prepare themselves.

In a statement issued here, she criticised the government for its lack of seriousness and trust building measures as there was no consultation with opposition leaders before imposition of lockdown.
She said the government should have at least taken experienced members like Dr. Mukul Sangma, H.M.Shangpliang, George Lyngdoh, Marylborn Syiem, Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh and other Opposition members as a separate core committee.

“However, it is very distressing that without taking the wide ramifications of the sudden announcement of the lockdown, the state government should have taken the Opposition into confidence before going ahead with the proposed Lockdown stretching for 6 days from the 5th till the 10th without thinking about the rural community that is at a disadvantage unlike those living in and around the Capital city," she said. 
 

She asserted that the administration should have deployed adequate manpower to check rampant hoarding and also sudden price rise and said that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) coalition has miserably "failed" in this area. 

Criticising the regional parties and the BJP for not voicing their concern, she observed that they aren’t taken into confidence or else they should have given their views.
The Mahila Congress has also demanded to know whether the state health minister has even undertaken a COVID safety audit of all the CHCs and PHCs with regards to their manpower provision, equipment, emergency services and COVID testing centres.

“We stress that the health minister should not just talk of preventive measures but should also walk the talk by visiting some government managed CHCs and PHCs and even convert un-utilised existing infrastructure into COVID Isolation centers and those run by NGOs under the PPP model," she said.

On the other hand, the Mahila Congress, however, appreciated the efforts and courage put in by the health staff and officers, sanitation staff, ambulance services of 108 and other health institutions, doctors, nurses, lab technicians and many others who are providing succour to the afflicted.

(Edited by Iban Mawrie)

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