CUTTACK: With the efficiency of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and district administration in the management of Covid-19 in the Millennium city put to question, the State Government on Saturday rushed two senior IAS officers, appointed as Covid observers, to take stock of the situation. Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment department Dr Saurabh Garg, who is in charge of Cuttack city, and Additional Secretary of General Administration department Susanta Mohapatra, in charge of Cuttack rural, reviewed the steps taken to contain the pandemic.
Garg claimed that the local administration has involved puja committees and sahi committees in the fight against Covid-19. Ward-level committees have been formed and door-to-door surveys are being carried out to identify suspected cases with the help of the local puja committee and sahi committee.Steps are being taken to create awareness among people to adhere to all Covid-19 prevention measures like wearing masks and social distancing, etc. Municipal Commissioner Ananya Das said, rapid response teams, led by doctors, have been formed to monitor the situation.
As many as, 5,101 people have returned from outside states to the city of whom 3,892 were in home quarantine, 949 in institutional quarantine and 260 opted for paid quarantine.A control room has been set up in the city for receiving calls and providing information and guidance to people on Covid-19, the Commissioner stated.The officials, however, did miss the fact that there is no control room at the district headquarters.
Sources said though the number of Covid cases has crossed 500 mark, the district administration is yet to set up a control room to monitor the situation. Due to lack of a control room, there is no proper coordination between officials of Health department and district administration resulting in mismanagement of the pandemic.
The district has so far reported 548 cases. Locals said a control room will facilitate not only the officials in coordinating and initiating steps to contain the spread of the disease but also help general public in availing information on the situation. How the pandemic situation is being monitored by the administration in the absence of a control room, they questioned.
LOOPHOLES
Though the number of Covid cases has crossed 500 mark, the district administration is yet to set up a control room to monitor the situation
Due to lack of a control room, there is no proper coordination between officials of Health department and district administration resulting in mismanagement of the pandemic
The district has so far reported 548 cases