The Mahagathbandhan parties sent a 11-point memorandum to the Bihar Chief Minister via email on 22 May 2021 with regard to the dangerous proportions the Covid pandemic has assumed in Bihar. The memorandum, signed by CPIML State Secretary Kunal, RJD State President Jagadanand Singh, Congress State President Madan Mohan Jha, CPI State Secretary Ramnaresh Pandey and CPM State Secretary Awadhesh Kumar, condemned in strong words the undemocratic and anti-people order issued by the Bihar Chief Secretary preventing people's representatives from inspecting Covid hospitals and community kitchen centres.
The memorandum said that rural Bihar has been totally gripped by the Covid infection because of a weak health system and failure and lack of will on the part of the government to take concrete measures despite having got one full year's preparation time. Amidst all round chaos people are suffering due to black marketing of oxygen and medicines, large scale unemployment, starvation, and spiralling prices. This tragedy, the biggest since independence, has attacked lives as well as livelihoods and people are feeling helpless and desperate.
In this dire situation instead of establishing cooperative communication with opposition parties and social activists, the government has evinced an insensitive attitude and communication gap. Officials are behaving in a very undemocratic and intolerant way with elected people's representatives instead of working together to fight this pandemic disaster. Leave alone taking cognizance of issues raised by people's representatives and acting upon them, officials do not even answer telephone calls.
The following are the demands of the Mahagathbandhan:
1. Issue a white paper on the present situation of ventilators and ambulances.
2. Adopt a democratic and transparent procedure for spending MLA funds.
3. Guarantee vaccination for all.
4. Expand Panchayat level testing and guarantee RTPCR report within 24 hours.
5. Fill all vacant posts in hospitals without delay.
6. Expand medical services and improve its quality.
7. Rs 4 lakhs compensation each to dependents of all the dead.
8. Rations and subsistence allowance for daily wage earners.
9. Special allowance and insurance for ASHA and sanitation workers.
10. Form an Expert Committee without delay.
11. Prepare for a possible 3rd wave of the pandemic.
The Mahagathbandhan parties have demanded immediate measures on the above suggestions.
