CM Yediyurappa urges PM Modi to provide 1.5 crore doses of COVID vaccine every month
Bengaluru, Jul 16: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide at least 1.5 crore doses of Covid vaccine to the state every month.
Yediyurappa put forth the demand for vaccines during a virtual meeting chaired by Modi with the chief ministers of various states to review the COVID-19 situation, said a statement issued by his office.
The Chief Minister explained that the COVID cases in Karnataka have declined to 1,900 a day.
In Bengaluru, it has come down to about 400 cases a day.
While the daily positivity rate is 1.42 per cent, the death rate too has come down to 1.25 per cent, he added.
Stating that Karnataka has so far received 2.62 crore vaccines, the chief minister requested the Prime Minister to provide 1.5 crore doses of the vaccine with a targeted 5 lakh doses everyday, the statement read.
Yediyurappa also told Modi that the district authorities have been authorised to impose sanctions depending on the positivity rate of COVID-19, the number of cases and the opinion of the Technical Advisory Committee.
The district officials have also been told to initiate appropriate action against those not following the COVID-19 protocols such as social distancing, hand hygiene and wearing face mask.
As the Prime Minister asked the state governments to gear up for the possible third wave, Yediyurappa said the government is enhancing the oxygenated beds, ventilator beds and pediatric ICUs in hospitals.
The number of doctors, paramedics and lab technicians in the hospitals have been increased.
In addition, a large number of tools for treating COVID are also being purchased and new RT-PCR laboratories and Genome Sequencing Laboratories are also being set up in the state, Yediyurappa told Modi.
Yediyurappa requested funds under the PM CARES fund for increasing the allocation of vaccines and to set up 800 neonatal and pediatric ventilators.
In addition, the Chief Minister urged Modi to allocate 40 PSA oxygen production units at Taluk hospitals and decentralisation of the distribution of liquid medical oxygen.
He also appealed to increase the supply of amphotericin-B to treat Mucormycosis and increase the intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) distribution for children.
During the video conference, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and senior government officials were present representing the Centre, while Deputy Chief Ministers Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and Govind Karjol, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar were present.
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Sitharaman refutes false claims that 'One Nation One Election' will be implemented in next polls
Chennai, Apr 5 (PTI): Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday dismissed the false propaganda surrounding the 'One Nation, One Election' concept, clarifying that it will not be implemented in the upcoming elections.
Speaking at an event near here, she noted that around Rs 1 lakh crore was spent during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and such a massive expenditure could be saved through simultaneous elections.
"If simultaneous elections are held for electing the members of Parliament and Assembly, about 1.5 per cent growth will be added to the country's GDP. In value terms, Rs 4.50 lakh crore will get added to the economy. This is a black and white example of One Nation One Election' concept", she said.
Sitharaman accused certain parties of "spreading a false campaign" on the 'One Nation One Election' initiative, blindly opposing it.
She clarified that simultaneous polls are planned to take place only after 2034 and the groundwork is being laid now for the then President to give his assent.
"This concept was widely discussed on several occasions. It was not something introduced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This' One Nation One Election' was in existence till the 1960s. Instead of blindly opposing it, if it has been supported considering its benefit, the 'One Nation One Election' concept will make the country move forward," the union minister remarked.
Sitharaman claimed that the late DMK Patriarch M Karunanidhi had supported the 'One Nation One Election' concept, but his son and the current Chief Minister (M K Stalin) is not following in his father's footsteps and instead opposing it.
Sitharaman reiterated that the 'One Nation One Election' concept was not someone's "pet" project, but has been planned considering the welfare of the country.
In her about 30 minute speech, the Union Minister clarified that simultaneous polls refers to conduct of Parliamentary and Assembly polls and not local body elections.
"There has been talk that simultaneous polls referring to elections will be conducted even at that Municipality level. It is not. It only pertains to the conduct of Parliamentary and Assembly polls together" she said.
She recalled that in the 1961-1970s three elections were conducted within 10 years in five states, including Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar and West Bengal.
Again, in the 1971 to 1980s, four elections were conducted in more than 14 States within 10 years.
Drumming up support for ONOE, Sitharaman said frequent conduct of Parliamentary and Assembly polls disrupts public welfare administration and affects developmental activities when the Model Code of Conduct is enforced.
"For example, even if an ambulance has to pass through a vital road, if the road has been laid but was not inaugurated due to implementation of model code of conduct, in view of elections, it gets affected," she said.
She clarified that she was not opposed to the implementation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) but at the same time, a project gets stalled and one has to wait until the MCC is lifted.
Another important aspect of holding simultaneous polls is that nearly Rs 12,000 crore would be saved to the exchequer, she said and added that such a huge sum can be used for various people welfare schemes instead of spending in elections.
"A Parliamentary Standing Committee comprising MPs from all the parties participated in a discussion on simultaneous polls and recommended it and again in 2018, Niti Ayog suggested conducting One Nation, One Election concept," she said.
In 2019, another all party meeting was convened on holding One Nation, One Election in which out of 19 political parties, 16 of them approved it while CPM, RSP and AIMIM from Hyderabad opposed it.
Sitharaman also referred to deployment of para-military forces as in the 2019 elections, several lakhs of personnel were involved in poll related activities instead of carrying out their regular work while 25 lakh election administrative officials participated in the conduct of the polls in 12 lakh booths.
With the implementation of One Nation, One Election, voter percentage would also increase in states, she added.
