THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putting the state government on the backfoot, the Opposition UDF on Tuesday released the official list of Covid deaths compiled by the Information Kerala Mission. As per the list, the state has lost 23,486 people to Covid from January 2020, while the list released by the Chief Minister's office on Monday mentions only 16,170 deaths so far.
The list provided by the Information Kerala Mission has around 7,316 more deaths than the list of the Chief Minister, even as the government has been claiming that the Covid death certification system is very transparent in Kerala and works as per the guidelines of the ICMR.
Revealing the Covid deaths list received in reply to an RTI query, Opposition leader V D Satheeshan said in the Assembly that it vindicated their stance on the issue. He also said the death stats are compiled by a state agency and not the Opposition which increases the gravity of the issue. "When taking into account the deaths of the current week, the actual death toll would be higher than the list released today,” he said.
While moving an adjournment motion in the assembly, P K Kunhalikutty of the IUML said the state government failed to handle the economic and livelihood crisis that emerged from the pandemic. Kerala which was once branded as a model state in tackling Covid is the worst-hit state in the country now. “The people of the state are really finding it hard to sustain their lives. On the one hand, the state government provides kits consisting essential provisions to the people and on the other hand, it collects the money required for them from the people by slapping heavy fines,” he said.
There should be a change in the current policy and system in place. The state should take the initiative to give money to people directly to help them stand firm on the ground, he said. He also said he doesn’t want to blame the government over the issue but wishes to bring the real situation that exists in the state to its attention.
In reply to the allegation of the Opposition, Finance Minister K N Balagopal listed the measures taken by the state government to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on the economy. The state will disburse the welfare pension for two months to beneficiaries before Onam which is expected to bring money into the economy, he said.
Defending the state government, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Around 50 per cent of the people have been infected by the Covid virus, while in many other states it would be over 80 per cent. But we have to exercise further caution." Later, the Speaker denied an adjournment motion to discuss the matter, following which the Opposition staged a walkout.