THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Expressing ‘deep disappointment’ with the Centre’s mega Rs 20 lakh crore ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ stimulus package, B Ekbal, who heads the state government’s expert panel on Covid-19, said the package didn’t give due consideration to the health sector which acts as the backbone in Covid management. Not even one per cent of the total allocation was made to the sector.
“The package has not allocated any additional fund for health sector,” he said. “Local Self-Government Institutions played a key role in Covid management. So, LSGIs should have got funds. Entrusting ICMR with Covid research will create hurdles owing to its conservative bureaucratic nature,” he said.