Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, April 15
Over a dozen special trains from Mumbai and Pune will reach Patna this week with migrant workers who are leaving Maharashtra following outbreak of the second wave of Corona.
According to the Eastern Central Railways, special trains will depart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Shivaji Maharaj terminus on alternate days. They will terminate at Danapur, Patliputra and Patna junctions.
A special train between Sholapur and Guwahati has also been arranged for the migrants to carry them to north eastern states and the migrants from Kosi and Mithila regions of Bihar would be allowed to travel in the train. Frequency of six trains between Mumbai and Patna has been increased to facilitate reverse return of the migrants.
Meanwhile, Bihar lagged far behind in the PM’s ambitious programme of Tika Mahotsav (Vaccination festival) which concluded yesterday (April 14).During the four days festival, only 5.44 lakh people got vaccinated against the target of 16 lakhs fixed by the state government.
According to the official figures, on the first day of the festival-2.06 lakh, second day 1.49 lakh and on third day (April 13) only 56,000 people were vaccinated and on the last day (April 14) it was 1.32 lakh.
The achievement during the four-days Festival was far below the people vaccinated during normal days.On April 10,2.52 lakh people were vaccinated ,on April 3,five lakh. But, it dropped fast during the government sponsored Festival.
Officials claimed the number of people getting vaccination dropped in the last four days because of non-availability of vaccines from Pune.Many vaccination centres in Patna had to display notices informing people about suspension of vaccination as Vaccine was not available.Vaccines for the second dose were not available in most of the centres in Patna.
State government has requisitioned the services of 50 Army doctors from the defence ministry to manage the Bihta based Covid dedicated hospital opened in the Employees state insurance corporation building. Principal secretary of health department, Pratay Amrut wrote a letter to the Defence Ministry seeking deployment of 50 army doctors for the hospital which is close to the Bihar Regimental centre headquarters and Bihta Airforce station.
All top officers of the state government in the Main Secretariat have been found Corona positive. They include the chief secretary, Arun Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary (home), Chaitnaya Prasad and principal secretary of finance S Sidharth. Part of the secretariat having land reforms and revenue department were sealed today following reports of many officers and employees testing Corona positive.
Patna hospitals are facing shortage of Remdesivir and oxygen cylinders too. District Magistrate of Patna, Chandra Shekhar Singh today held a meeting with the suppliers of oxygen cylinders and directed them to ensure smooth and uninterrupted supply in all Corona dedicated hospitals and ambulances..DM said three magistrates have been deputed at the godowns of the suppliers to prevent black marketing of cylinders.
Four special trains from Mumbai were arranged last week and they reached Patna junction after two days. During screening at Patna junction after the passengers detrained,64 were found Corona positive.
