MARGAO: The state government has turned into a damage control exercise when it’s been criticised for its handling of this outbreak.
In accordance with the instructions of main minister Pramod Sawant, the department of information and marketing has organized a workshop solely for public relation officers (PROs) of their government branches and businesses also for officials of particular responsibility (OSDs) to cabinet ministers on June 1 to train them into simplifying the adverse publicity.
“The workshop is geared toward enlightening the PROs/OSDs regarding their role and duties and also to act forthwith to the crucial reports emerging in the mainstream press and also to offset the negative publicity from the authorities by distributing factual information to the print/electronic networking and societal networking platforms on daily basis,” reads the circular issued by the manager of information and promotion Dipak Bandekar.
The state government was on the receiving end of extreme criticism from several quarters.
The large court of Bombay in Goa has also criticised the authorities over what’s regarded as its imprudent control of this pandemic resulting in deaths of variety of individuals in hospitals chiefly because of non-availability of air beds and ventilators, moreover changes in oxygen source at Goa Medical College.
Significantly, the authorities had come under criticism in the nation center committee of the BJP lately with all the members expressing their displeasure over how in which the government managed the pandemic.
With state assembly elections barely a couple of months off, sources said BJP is clearly concerned within the beating the picture of the celebration and the ministry has obtained over the matter.
Following persistent demands by the Opposition, the state authorities recently formed a 15-member specific task force under the chairmanship of the primary ministry to get ready for the next Covid tide, comprising both government and private doctors.
Aside from the task force, an expert committee led by GMC dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar was formed to examine the third and second waves and so advise the state authorities.
Following the high court came down heavily on the state authorities, it commissioned the super-speciality block of the GMC and changed to a Covid hospital, and thus decreasing to some extent that the burden on the present infrastructure of the GMC.
“We don’t need to see some other report from the paper that these most people died because of insufficient oxygen.
Let us concentrate on tonight and make sure that nobody must perish.
If any Covid-19 favorable individual dies because of insufficient oxygen, then it’s a breach of their right to reside under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
It’s the responsibility and the duty of every nation to defend the lives of these taxpayers,” the high courthearing that a raft of PILs about Covid mismanagement, had stated on May 12.
Stung by criticism, Goa govt eyes PR Workout
