The Covid care centre at Pernem was to be inaugurated on Sunday but the event was called off following the week-long national mourning for former president Pranab Mukherjee. who passed away last week.
However, the decision to postpone the opening of the Covid care centre at Pernem, presently housed at the multipurpose indoor stadium at Sawalwaddo, has evoked sharp reactions from many people in the taluka, who are upset that the Covid care centre has been delayed yet again even though Covid cases are rising sharply in Pernem taluka.
The inaugural function was to be inaugurated on Sunday by Deputy Chief Minister Babu Ajgaonkar and Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte.
“Is this the first Covid care centre in the State? Why government is looking for a special event to inaugurate it? The government should have started the centre as soon as possible by skipping the inaugural ceremony,” said Virnoda’s former sarpanch Sitaram Parab.
While appreciating Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and both Pernem taluka MLAs, Babu Ajgaonkar and Dayanand Sopte, for their efforts to start a Covid care centre in the taluka, Parab requested the government to start the centre without any inaugural ceremony.
Pernem Municipal Council Deputy Chairperson Gajanan Sawal Desai felt the State government should pay the Rs 1.75 crores dues to the PMC and also questioned the need to have an inaugural ceremony despite a rapid rise in Covid cases.
Added Pernem Congress Block President Umesh Talwanekar: “If the government really cared about the well-being of citizens, the Covid care centre would have been started a long time ago. But ministers and MLAs from the government want to flaunt such events and take credit wherever and whenever possible.”
At present, Pernem taluka does not have any Covid care centre and patients from the taluka have to be shifted to places like Mapusa, Candolim, Bicholim, Ponda and Calangute for treatment and facilities.
Initially, the Pernem Government College building had been selected for the Covid care centre, but the decision was later withdrawn following opposition from students, parents, staff and the Virnoda panchayat.
Then, the government took over the multipurpose stadium about two months ago and converted it into a Covid care centre. However, there has been a prolonged delay and the centre is yet to be inaugurated till date.
