6 Covid deaths in a day, Goa Oppn unites ahead of 1-day session

Panaji : The pall triggered by the death of six persons -- the highest number of Covid-19 fatalities in the state in a day -- on Saturday, may cast an uneasy shadow on the one-day assembly session, which begins on July 27 (Monday), with a united Opposition preparing to slam Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government over alleged mismanagement of the Covid-19 crisis.

Late on Saturday, after statistics released by the Health Ministry revealed the state's highest per-day toll of Covid-19 deaths, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat questioned the rationale behind the government's hurry to pass the budget during the daylong session, as against conducting a discussion on the Covid-19 scenario in Goa.

"With death toll rising & a 14-year-old losing life, Will @BJP4Goa, @GovtofGoa, @goacm still go ahead suspending all rules & pass budget & conduct business without discussion during 1 day Assembly Session? Is #CovidPandemic & peoples suffering last priority for Government?" Kamat tweeted late on Saturday.

After going Covid-19 free for two months until May, the state has witnessed a sustained spike in cases with 4,686 cases being reported since, out of which 1,606 cases are active. 31 persons have died in Goa following infection by the deadly virus.

"6 Covid19 deaths today, increasing number of positive cases & huge pendency of tested reports & @GoaGovt will suspend all rules and pass a record breaking business on Monday's 1 day Assembly session without discussion on Covid19 situation in #Goa! & Opposition must remain quiet?" Opposition MLA and Goa Forward party president Vijai Sardesai also said. The decision to restrict the monsoon session to one day, was taken following an-party meeting chaired by Speaker Rajesh Patnekar earlier this month, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. One ruling BJP MLA has already been hospitalised after tested positive for coronavirus.

For several weeks now, the Sawant-led administration has been criticised by the Opposition, which has accused the government of shoddy management of the Covid-19 crisis.

Sawant has also had a run-in with Governor Satya Pal Malik, with the latter picking holes in the state government Covid-19 management efforts.

The Chief Minister, however, has maintained that the Opposition has been nitpicking and insisted that the rising number of Covid-19 cases are directly linked to the increased number of testing in Goa.

"We have tested more than 1.11 lakh persons in Goa so far. Goa has a population of 1.5 million. So we have tested one in every 15 persons," Sawant has maintained, while explaining the increasing number Covid-19 cases in Goa.