Sometimes we wonder whether we are passing our days in a Tughlaq period. Some directives of ministers and bureaucrats regarding the ongoing covid pandemic situation have made us so confused that we doubt whether the government machinery is really capable to tackle an emergency situation, like covid-19 pandemic.
Despite making the vaccination programme a total mess, the government is going to open all shops, shopping malls and markets from today [Wednesday]. Traders are asked to keep their establishments open from 10 am to 8 pm maintaining health guidelines. Is it possible to maintain health rules during full-time shopping when majority of the people usually show total disregard for it is a big question.
There is no doubt that little shop owners, small traders, vendors and other sections of society have suffered financial loss during the lockdowns, though lockdown was never a successful programme due to government’s whimsical decisions. On the one hand, the government was forced to keep garment and other export-oriented factories open; the poor like day labourers and rickshaw-pullers were seldom provided food and cash at their doorsteps on the other.
Yet again the authorities have asked the operators to ply 50 per cent of buses with full capacity passengers from today. Normally, a large number of people travel in city buses to go to their offices and workplaces. If 50 per cent of buses starts plying with full capacity passengers, then it will be another chaos in city transportation. No social distance nor heath guideline will be maintained.
Apart from such whimsical decisions, absurd statements of ministers have made the situation worse. An example will clear it more. Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque recently said that ‘after August 11, travelling by an unvaccinated adult (above 18) would be considered a punishable offence’. However, he retracted his statement next day following widespread criticism. Health Minister Zahid Maleque recently has said one crore people will be vaccinated every week, whereas he has no clear idea when sufficient vaccines will be available for all.
Most of the vaccination programmes have been taken up targeting political benefit and not taking field-level reality under consideration. At present, collecting vaccines on time at affordable prices is a big challenge, whether the government admits it or not. Besides, vaccine preservation and its fair distribution in a transparent manner needs to get importance when the number of Covid-19 deaths is rising day by day.
If there is weakness in planning and lack of skillfulness in execution, the whole exercise will be ultimately a big ‘zero’. The government has hired liars to praise it so that no change for the better can be thought of. Other than police power there is no effectiveness of the government for the welfare of the people. Nobody is punished for mismanagement.
