CRPF chief’s claim of no intelligence or tactical failure is as embarrassing as his count of Maoist casualties is unconvincing. Or Maoists wouldn’t have collected a booty of weapons. Leaders take it on the chin, not protect their positions. There’re no good or bad soldiers. Only good or lousy commanders.
India has crossed 1 lakh Covid cases a day. Time for Centre to let states decide on vaccination
As India crosses 1 lakh daily coronavirus infections, it’s time New Delhi gives up centralised control of vaccination schedule. Its use-by-date is over. States should be allowed the freedom to handle this. Instead of daily directives, Centre should take its hands off and let states decide based on local priorities.
“CRPF chief’s claim of no intelligence failure at Bijapur embarrassing. Leaders don’t do that”
A very legitimate conclusion.
After so many years of operation in these areas there just can’t be such a failure of intelligence. These developments do not add up. Have we become casual in our approach or is it the case of typical attitude of ‘chalega, dekhemge”? (Let be, we shall see). Neither is acceptable.
Although campaigning had virtually concluded by the time news of this terrible human tragedy came in, perhaps some things should be left to state level functionaries. One minister had parked himself for months in Bangalore for the Karnataka state election, even as the mess up in the Board level exams, with leakage of papers, was playing out on TV screens.
Many decisions in dealing with the pandemic over the last one year are difficult to applaud. A recent BBC report sheds some light on that momentous decision to impose a national shutdown at four hours’ notice. 2. For months before the vaccines were approved for use, it was clear that, apart from WMD, they were our only salvation. The entire blueprint, including logistics, personnel, priorities for different categories of people, funding, ought to have been ready well before the first jab. 3. The role of the private sector ought to have been thought through. Initially to administer on behalf of the government, but mainly to deal with large numbers of citizens who would be able to pay a slightly higher price. Vaccine manufacturers like SII would have got a decent opportunity to earn profits from one segment, while supplying at a little over cost for the public programme. The entire diplomatic chutzpah of Vaccine Maitri was misplaced. Sixty million priceless doses exported. 3. The vaccines and the nurses are both there. Sputnik, perhaps even Pfizer and Moderna, should have been swiftly approved. Not too late even today to junk the registration procedure. The BMC proposal to vaccinate 1,50,000 senior citizens in their homes ought to have been approved, as a national model. Bulk vaccinations in factories, other workplaces. 4. Maharashtra’s weekend lockdown and night curfew will carry a high economic and human cost. Ordinary households have received barely a packet of potato crisps to get through a pandemic year. Businesses, nothing. One would need a Ph D from MIT to decode the twenty trillion relief package.
CARE Ratings has estimated that the Maharashtra lockdown will dent FY 22 GVA growth by 0.32%.