MARGAO
Saying the welfare model of the Indian Constitution provides citizens with the basic right to education, health and other essential services, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Wednesday said he stands in solidarity with the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who has demanded for Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia for the Covid victims.
As part of National campaign of the All India Congress, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant urging him to commit upholding the State government’s share of the Rs four lakh ex-gratia payment so that it pushes the Central government to fulfilment its commitment to the affected citizens.
“The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) norms require 75% of the Rs 4 lakh, which is Rs three lakh to be paid by the Central government and remaining 25%, which is Rs 1 lakh, to be the share of the State government. I also demand revising the Covid-19 death register with immediate effect. Negligence and inefficiency of the government during the first and second wave of the pandemic has costed several lives lost. In addition to that the government has gone to great lengths to hide the actual death numbers caused due to Covid-19. I demand a detailed survey to create an authentic Covid-19 death register so that all those excluded can rightfully access compensation, Kamat stated in his letter.
Saying the Covid-19 pandemic heavily affected majority of the population in this country, he said people died untimely deaths, businesses have shut down, people have been forced to migrate. “Families have lost their earning members and the out-of-pocket treatment expenses incurred in private hospitals during the pandemic have brought them to the streets. Families have lost all their savings and are in huge debts,” he said.
Kamat added: The irresponsible act of the Government of Goa resulted in murder of almost 200 Covid patients due to shortage of oxygen at Goa Medical College Hospital. Despite the High Court taking cognizance of the unfortunate deaths and giving directions to the government to take immediate corrective measures, the deaths continued.”
Saying the meagre amount of Rs 50,000 as ex-gratia compensation is insufficient, he said the Central government has argued that giving Rs 4 lakh as compensation would leave the government with insufficient capital to deal with Covid-19 itself.
“We cannot understand how, the Central government continues to collect taxes through rising petrol prices and provide tax relaxation to corporates, but can deny any such relief to the citizens,” Kamat questioned.
