Opposition party leaders, including Congress, the TDP and left-wing parties, on Sunday called for the center to provide adequate vaccine supplies to people of all ages, free of charge.
At a virtual meeting coordinated by APCC President S. Sailajanath, leaders said that if the center fails, the state government should set aside 2,000 crore to buy the vaccines and not hesitate to use stocks if necessary to import from abroad.
They claimed the lack of medical oxygen resulted in the deaths of COVID-19 patients in the state and called on the government to hold talks with representatives of the affected companies about increasing oxygen production. They said the oxygen produced in the state should be used for the medical needs of local people first before being sent to other parts of the country.
Financial grant applied for
Given the financial crisis sparked by the pandemic, the government should provide COVID victims with a monthly grant of £ 7,500-10,000 for at least six months.
She also asked for £ 10 to be paid to relatives of people who had died of viruses, £ 50 to families of frontline warriors on duty and journalists to be added to the list of frontline workers.
Opposition leaders also wanted the government to take steps to ensure proper final rites of those who succumbed to the virus, free distribution of essential goods, and financial assistance to workers, agricultural coolies and small private employees.
It’s time the government increased the capacity of beds to treat COVID patients by converting college dorms into quarantine centers and PHCs into Covid Care centers.
They also called for the ceiling of the Aarogyasri program to be increased.
All-party meetings
Opposition leaders urged the center to consider imposing a full lockdown after an unprecedented surge in infections. Mr Sailajanath said Prime Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy should convene an all-party meeting to discuss the pandemic situation and the way ahead, adding that the party would soon publish a joint action plan on the pandemic. CPI (M) Chairman P. Madhu, CPI Chairman K. Ramakrishna, Party Leader Satyanarayana Murthy and M. Nageswara Rao, TDP President K. Atchannaidu, MLA N. Ramanaidu, Party Spokesman K. Pattabhiram, Congressional Labor President N. Thulasi Reddy Mastan Vali attended the meeting.