Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, May 29
Even as the Chief Minister and most of his cabinet colleagues were reportedly in “isolation” following a Bihar government whip, Union Minister for Law, Justice, Communications and IT minister Ravishankar Prasad had to come forward to demonstrate that the machineries were in active mood.
On May 23, Additional Chief Secretary of Cabinet Secretariat Sanjay Kumar had issued an order restricting the movement of ministers in the fields as it was disturbing the civil administration’s efforts in COVID control. The order reportedly came after science and technology minister Sumit Kumar Singh visited three COVID and health centres in his constituency in Jamui on May 22 and reported large-scale irregularities.
Following the restriction, most of the Ministers and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had confined themselves in bungalows drawing sharp criticism from the people. The task of COVID management had been left to selective bureaucrats. Since the public representatives were missing from the scene, it was sending a wrong signal among people against the coalition government of JDU and BJP.
Former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who was arrested on May 11after he exposed an ambulance scam in Saran district and highlighted poor hospital facilities, was gaining ground among poor people for distributing oxygen cylinders and medicines free. On the other hand, the members of the ruling coalition were finding themselves in a fix.
Ravishankar Prasad, who represents Patna Saheb constituency in Lok Sabha, reached here last night and sought special permission from the administration to visit two hospitals namely Patna Medical College Hospital and Guru Gobind Singh Hospital for distributing oxygen concentrators, cylinders, PPE kits and surgical masks.
Dr I S Thakur, Superintendent of PMCH told the Union Minister that only 17 COVID patients were left in the hospital. Ravishankar said so far two crore people have been vaccinated against Corona in Bihar and assured by the year end, all citizens would get vaccinations.
He handed over 100 oxygen cylinders at Bihar medical Services Corporation Limited’s Fatuwah godown in his constituency. These cylinders have been gifted by Telecommunications Consultants India Limited under corporate social responsibility scheme.
Since the second wave of Corona started, ministers from the BJP quota had been active in their constituencies, arranging better medical facilities. Even health minister Mangal Pandey and union minister of state for health Ashwini Kumar Chaubey, both from BJP were active in their areas, visiting hospitals but none of the JDU leaders were seen in the fields.
BJP’s MLA from Kumhrarar Arun Kumar Sinha, who was active in different parts of the state capital in sanitising the residential colonies was also told to remain indoors since May 23 ban was imposed. State BJP President Sanjay Jaiswal said he would request the chief minister to lift restrictions on the ministers.
A senior minister of BJP claimed that in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited 52 districts during Corona and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chauhan too is active in the field. But Bihar remains exceptional.
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