Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, May 4
Taking the whip of Patna High Court seriously, Bihar government on Tuesday decided to impose lockdown from May 5 to May 15 and ordered closure of all government offices.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the crisis management group of state government said since there had been heavy increase in the number of Corona positive cases in Bihar, it has been decided to impose lockdown.
According to the statement issued by the disaster management department, in last one week, 10 per cent rise in Corona positive cases have been noticed. All markets, commercial establishments shall remain closed..Vegetable markets and retail markets of food grains shall function between 7 and 11 am only. No one would be allowed to move on roads and restrictions would apply to the pedestrians also. All modes of transport would be banned till May 15. All educational institutions will remain shut and no examination would be conducted.
Indian Medical Association had demanded total lockdown in the state to break the chain of Virus spreaders and its president, Dr Sahjananad Prasad Singh wrote to the chief minister apprehending catastrophe of worst order if lock down was delayed..
The double bench of Patna High Court consisting of justices, Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Mohit Kumar Shah, on Monday had warned the state” Either you impose lock down or we will order”. Court is monitoring the Corona crisis management on daily basis and while hearing the PIL on Tuesday morning too,it threatened to hand over the Corona management to Army as “there is total failure on part of the state government to control COVID-19.” Court observed: You have failed in tackling pandemic.”
High Court recommended constitution of five-member experts committee to guide the state government and suggested inclusion of a senior IAS officer currently posted in the Union government as coordinator
High Court expressed its displeasure over the management and said against the quota of 194 MT of oxygen daily, government was lifting only 160 Mt..There is no action plan in the hospitals on supply of oxygen. All big government hospitals, including Nalanda Medical College Hospital, Patna Medical College Hospital, IGIMS has complained of oxygen shortage and 50 private hospitals in Patna claimed they had oxygen for six hours. Many hospitals put House Full and no oxygen boards at the entrance in Patna. Dr Vinay Kumar Singh, in-charge of Gardanibagh Government Hospital succumbed to Corona today.
As the death due to Corona mounted in last two days and shortage of woodlogs in the three cremation grounds in Patna, Municipal Commissioner, Himanshu Sharma today said 300 tons of woodlogs are being transported from Siliguri, Kolkata and Gangtok to meet the demand as the waiting list for cremation of Corona dead was getting longer.
A new cremation ground at Nandlal Gola on the banks of Ganga was started today following rush of bodies in the three cremation grounds of Bans Ghat,Gulbi Ghat and Khanjekala Ghat in the state capital. District administration has prepared a make shift cremation ground at Digha in western Patna also to facilitate cremation of Corona victims.
Meanwhile, the state government today decided to deduct Rs 2 crore each from the 300 legislators for Corona fund .The health department will manage Rs 600 crore fund for Corona management.
