COVID-19 cases in Himachal Pradesh are much less than other states: CM Thakur

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday said his government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was much better than many other states in a speech in the Assembly, which was constantly interrupted by the opposition Congress.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday said his government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was much better than many other states in a speech in the Assembly, which was constantly interrupted by the opposition Congress. The Opposition members squatted on the well of the House briefly and interpreted the chief minister's one-and-a-half-hour reply to a discussion in the Assembly by raising slogans and thumping desks. "May you be born while clapping," he said, referring to the Opposition members.

Thakur was replying to an adjournment motion moved by the leader of opposition, Mukesh Agnihtori. Comparing Himachal Pradesh's performance with other states in handling the pandemic, the chief minister said COVID-19 cases are much less as compared to other states.

In the Congress-ruled Punjab, the number of coronavirus fatalities is more than the total number of active cases in Himachal Pradesh, he said. He alleged that coronavirus patients are not being treated properly in Maharashtra, which is governed by the Congress-Shiv Sena alliance.

Tripura with a population of 40 lakh has as many as 16,154 coronavirus cases, he said, adding that the Union Territory of Chandigarh has a total of 6,370 cases.  The numbers of coronavirus cases and fatalities in Himachal Pradesh are much less as better arrangements were made here. "Had there been a government of those who are clapping, they would have looted the state during this crisis," he added.

Four more people died of coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, taking the death toll to 59, while 171 fresh cases pushed the state's infection tally to 7,832. In his one-and-a-half-hour reply, the chief minister said that thousands of residents stuck in other states were brought back to Himachal Pradesh at the state's expense.

There were only 60 ventilators in the state before the pandemic, but the number has now gone up to 640, he said, adding that 500 of them were provided by the Centre. The opposition Congress legislators walked out from the Assembly when the chief minister was ending his reply on the adjournment motion. They alleged that four Opposition MLAs were not given the opportunity to participate in the discussion.

Earlier, Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar said a total of 28 legislators -- 13 from the ruling BJP and 15 from the opposition -- participated in the six-hour-25-minute discussion on the adjournment motion..