From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 4: Obviously unhappy with the work of health and family welfare minister Dr K Sudhakar, who is also the medical education minister, of all responsibilities pertaining to the handling of the Covid situation in the state, the State Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday has allocated responsibilities of the district in-charge ministers of the respective districts to be in charge of providing oxygen, beds, Remidisvir and other requirements in the district.
The State Cabinet at its meeting presided over by chief minister B S Yediyurappa, declared that media persons will be considered frontline workers and provided with free vaccine.
The State Cabinet has entrusted industries minister Jagadish Shettar as in-charge of oxygen centres and to coordinate with central government to see that there is no shortage of oxygen.
Deputy chief minister and higher education minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, who has already been appointed two days back as the new chief of the Covid Task Force, has been asked to coordinate with all medical colleges in the state and see to it that there is no shortage of Remidisvir medicine and human resources.
Home, as well as law and parliamentary affairs minister Basavaraj Bommai and revenue minister R Ashok, have been asked to look into the requirement of beds in government and private hospitals
Minister Aravinda Limbavali has been given charge of the BBMP War Room.
However, no specific responsibility has been given to Dr Sudhakar, who is apparently been under fire for his handling of the Covid management as well as the problems in Chamarajanagar district and other districts as well.
The chief minister said the state government has discussed with the central government to make use of oxygen supplied by Karnataka's Jindal Company in the state as the number of Covid cases in neighbouring Maharashtra has come down.
It also ratified the appointment of senior IAS officer Shivayogi Kalasad, managing director of KSRTC, to probe the deaths of 24 persons due to shortage of oxygen in Chamarajanagar district on May 3 and submit a report in three days.
The state government has coordinated with the central government for more supply of Remidisvir medicine, the chief minister said and mentioned that he had discussed the issue of distribution and availability of Remdesivir medicines with senior government officials.