Puducherry CM slams Centre for declining funds to tackle Covid-19 situation

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Tuesday hit out at the Centre for allegedly declining to grant funds to the State governments and the territorial administration to meet their commitments to protect people's health during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The hike in prices of petroleum products effected every other day "added insult to injury," he said.

He claimed that the Centre had not responded to the territorial administration's 17 letters for grant of Rs 995 crore to augment the facilities in hospitals to tackle the pandemic.

Puducherry government has been using the RTPCR testing procedure for identifying those infected with Covid-19.

"We are spending as much as Rs 4500 per patient to do the testing as we are concerned more with the health of the people.

The Centre is yet to come to our aid in spite of our repeated pleas for funds," he said.

On the Ladakh face-off with China,the chief minister expressed concern over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent statement that neither is anyone inside India's territory nor has anyone captured its posts while referring to the Ladakh face-off.

"This comment is a matter of concern particularly when 20 Indian soldiers had made supreme sacrifice in the India China face off in the Galwan valley and defended the Indian territory," he said.

The Prime Minister's Office has already clarified Modi's comments, and said attempts are being made to give a "mischievous interpretation."

The chief minister reiterated that the spread of the infection in Puducherry and Karaikal regions was largely due to the people from neighbouring Tamil Nadu districts visiting the Union Territory.

"We have however tightened our vigil to prevent the people from stepping into Puducherry," he said.

The territorial government would appoint on contract basis doctors, nurses and workers under the ASHA scheme to strengthen manpower in hospitals to respond to the needs of the Covid-19 hit patients,he added.