The state government has thrown open its purse strings to deal with the spread in COVID-19 positive cases in the state. Till today, it has had a decent report card vis-a-vis many other COVID-affected states’. In the process, the state government claims to have achieved a few records of sorts. However, all is not kosher. For example, the government’s claim of having built up one of the finest health infrastructure in the country to deal with the pandemic is not without questions. The process of putting together such a large number of hospitals, or beds, in the state, especially, the way it was put together scores low on rectitude. One of the biggest criticisms directed at the government’s anti-COVID programme implementation is blatant lack of transparency. Most of the standalone COVID-19 hospitals in the state are improvised facilities only. Very few fresh infrastructure has been created. In its bid to develop COVID-19 infrastructure at the quickest possible time, the government tied up with private hospitals and diverted funds worth hundreds of crores to them to put together facilities. However, the terms and conditions of these facilities are still anybody’s guess. It is not yet clear as to who will own this infrastructure. Once the fear of pandemic is behind us, what use they will be put to and what cost that will entail for public. Whether they will be considered government facilities such as SCB Medical College and Capital Hospital. There are many such questions that need to be answered.
The government on record has said that the COVID-19 hospitals will be run by private hospital managements such as KIMS, SUM, Ashwini Hospitals and so on. Private space has been taken in partnership at places like Tangi and elsewhere to build up COVID hospitals. However, nobody knows of the terms and conditions of the agreements signed with private players. Was it the optimal use of the COVID funds? Won’t it be better to canalise such large tax payers’ money towards creating fresh infrastructure in public health facilities like SCB and elsewhere. The graph of COVID cases in the state does not justify the haste with which the government went about creating such a large number of COVID beds. The whole process of using such funds and the lightning speed at which it was used appears suspicious. The government’s decision to invite a whopping 5 lakhs of migrants stranded outside the state and arranging quarantines for them in 7000 plus centres spread across the state also beg questions. What is the tearing hurry for? Facilities could have been created outside the state for migrants to complete a 14-day quarantine and then bring them back here. This could have spared over 4.5 crore people in the state of having to run the chance of getting contaminated. At the panchayat level, sarpanchs have been given powers at par with District Collectors. Funds have been earmarked for individual and collective expenditures. Overheads have been worked out. It is big money and there are chances that they will be misused. Who will monitor the end use of such funds that will go to the hands of sarpanchs. There are reports of sarpanchs showing undue interest in maximizing the influx of migrants to their respective areas. This is because they know for sure that the money at their hands will be unaccounted for audits will be closed with self-certificates only. They will spend the money and raise bills that will be approved by them only. The more the number of migrants, the larger the size of the booty. State’s industry secretary on record said there is no limit to government’s funds when it comes to handling the pandemic related issues. This is good thinking. There should be no qualms on using funds to handle a natural disaster like coronavirus. In fact, the government’s alacrity on this score is commendable. But what is worrisome is the way the state government is going about the whole exercise, especially the hush-hush manner in which it is being carried out.