Congress demand all-party meet over COVID-19 situation in Odisha
As the second wave of COVID-19 continues in the state, Congress Committee demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘This is the first truly global pandemic. The miseries that it has wrought are unimaginable. Not a day goes by when people do not hear of something known to the dying. In fact, no longer anyone is looking at government statistics. This is the time for society to come together above political and other differences. While the government has the ultimate responsibility to lead the efforts, all other sections of society must be heard, asked to contribute and broad consensus evolved,’ said Niranjan Patnaik, President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee in a statement.
He further added, ‘We are now being battered by the second wave. Not having been able to vaccinate a large swathe of our population, we can have multiple waves. When the rest of the world entered into an advance purchase agreement in September 2020, the Government of India did not. Now after wasting eight months there is a scamper, including global tender. The pandemic has spread to rural and remote areas with poor health infrastructure. Therefore, we are looking at an uncertain future.’
PCC President Shri @NPatnaikOdisha's letter to CM @Naveen_Odisha requesting him to urgently convene an all-party meeting & also invite civil society representatives in the meeting to discuss the strategy for combating #COVID19 pandemic in Odisha. pic.twitter.com/bYQa4ezeC0
— Odisha Congress (@INCOdisha) May 20, 2021
Requesting all-party members to plan the meeting urgently, the President said, ‘People are increasingly fearful and completely demoralised with this daily dance of death. This is no time to think of human life in political terms, to seek glory, or to apportion blame. I am looking at none of these. But, we should all come together and do our best.’
The prominent Civil Society representative was also invited to this meeting in an effort to build societal grit.