Covid 19: India’s Fight Continues…

 

May 21, 2021, Kolhapur: Police, civic admin fail to act against high and mighty violators

 

Kolhapur city and the district are presently under a total lockdown to contain the spread of corona virus. The citizens are not allowed to venture out to fetch essentials or get their daily supplies of milk. The only reason permitted to undertake travel is a medical condition or appointment with doctor.

 

Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Shailesh Balkavade and the district collector Daulat Desai have appealed to the people to stay indoors and comply with the lockdown orders. Ironically, both these officials failed miserably in their commitment towards common citizens of the district by failing to act in a timely manner and allowing elections to the Gokul cooperative society wherein all the social distancing norms and Covid protocol behaviour were thrown to the wind.

 

The officials need to give it a thought and also question themselves whether they are doing their job in the right earnest and with total sincerity. The answer to this question will be a big NO.

 

This is because both these officials failed to act when the elections to the Gokul Milk cooperative society were held a few days ago. From the actions it appears that both the SP and the district collector are towing their political bosses with the least regard for the well being of residents of Kolhapur.

 

Both these officials who are the administrative heads of a district need to answer the question --

1) Why were elections to Gokul Milk Society held in first place when there is a pandemic going on?

2) Why were so many people allowed to assemble ahead of elections with scant regard for the social distancing norms?

3) Why no cases were lodged against the politicians responsible for gathering so many people in violation of the orders promulgated by the designated officer to contain the spread of corona virus?

4) When there are restrictions on inter-district travel. How was it that people from adjoining Sangli district could reach Kolhapur for elections?

5) How after the total process of election was over and the president of the Gokul Milk Cooperative was appointed the decision to impose the total lockdown was taken?

6) What was the mindset and idea behind allowing Gokul elections, especially when there were rising cases of Corona in the district?

 

By listening and abiding to the unofficial diktats of their political bosses, both the SP and the collector have pushed the residents of Kolhapur to more risk of Corona. They have also conveniently imposed total lockdown after the elections were over, pushing the residents to severe inconvenience.

 

These officials from the police department, municipal commissioner and the district collectorate should be held responsible for their utter failure to handle the situation like Corona crisis and acting to facilitate the designs of their political bosses.

 

What the police and the civic administration has failed to understand is the fact that several people have lost their jobs, shopkeepers and businessmen have lost business and their earnings have shrinked and yet they are cooperating just to stop the spread of deadly virus and here we have officers and politicians who have their vested interests with least regard for public welfare.

It is high time that the residents of Kolhapur too teach a lesson to the politicians, who are keeping their interests above that of their voters.