FIRST PRIORITY OF GOVERNMENT IS PROTECTING PEOPLE'S LIVES The Supreme Court observes figures given to various courts on same subject are various! With 71 bodies alegedly thrown into the Ganga from UP and washed ashore in Bihar, and many bodies being discovered buried in the sand, no one knows the exact figures of the dead and if from Covid! The priority of government was winning elections and safety of people came last! People are dying due to this attitude of absololute neglect of healthcare, more so in villages, resulting in shortage of oxygen, ventilators, ambulances. Government says no shortage, but excuses of technician/doctors, transport, equipment shortages etc ie pure maladministration! This whilst plenty of ventilators purchased under PM Cares Fund found unused in hospitals, and 30 brand new ambulances found unused for months covered. When Minister concerned confronted, he blithely says not 30 but 20 and he couldnt get drivers!Twenty unemployed drivers flashing their driving lisences immediately shown on TV. Such disgusting politics, arrogance and criminal negligence as a result of which innocent people are dying is unbelievable! The High Court in Goa has bluntly told the government that they are in violation of Art 21 of the Constitution and people dying in GMC for lack of oxygen is unacceptable! Projection of number of cylinders required given by the under secretary differs from that given by the Dean. Such a mess in procuring and vaccinating everyone. Centre allocates, States to procure directly, different pricing , governemnt and private hospitals, riduculous that for procuring foreign vaccines a State has to bargain with a foreign supplier etc. Most foreign nations are vaccinating free and it is shameful that our government has plenty of funds for elections and vanity projects and buildings, but none to save lives of its citizens which should be first priority.Centre procuring and negociating, distributing free vaccines for all was the answer to save people's lives quickly! Our recent democratic governments have been self serving with wrong priorities, and the electorate have not been able to bring them and themselves down to ground realities. The Centre has the gall to tell the SC not to interfere in governance matters. Unfortunately the SC has been towing the government line emboldening them and now that Justice Chandrachud is down with Covid, the CJI should have taken over and told the executive where it gets off! Not doing so and permitting the executive to keep chipping away its powers , the SC will not be able to be the guardian of the Constitution and public interest. Despite so many dead bodies resulting, the present comparative complacency of government, having to be pulled up by the courts, is criminal neglect responsible for present state of affairs.
