While People Are Dying Without Oxygen, Treatment, Yogi Sets Up Helpline For Cows In All UP Districts
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath's care with cows and cow protection is well documented.?And that has not changed even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Yogi government has reportedly issued directives to set up help desks for the protection of cows in every district.
According to IANS, the government has issued instructions that all the cow shelters must strictly follow the Covid-19 protocols and has made the usage of masks and frequent thermal screening mandatory.
The cow shelters will also be equipped with all the medical equipment¡¯s such as oximeters and thermal scanners for cows and other animals as well. According to the government spokesman, destitute cows, in large numbers, are being provided shelter in the gaushalas. The government is also rapidly increasing the number of the existing cowsheds and cow shelters to deal with stray cattle menace.
According to the official data, there are over 5,268 cow protection centres which have, till now, ensured the wellbeing of as many as 5,73,417 cattle in the state. About 4,64,311 cows in both, villages and cities, have been kept at 4,529 temporary cow shelters.
Of these, 40,640 cows are in 161 Kanha Gaushalas and 10,827 cows in 407 kanji houses. Apart from this, 171 large cow-conservation centres/cow sanctuaries have been constructed in the state, which have provided shelter to as many as 57,639 cows.
This comes even as Uttar Pradesh continues to be one of the worst-Covid hit states in India.
According to official figures, the state has so far recorded 13,68,183 COVID-19 cases and 13,798 deaths from it.
However, UP, like many other states has been accused of under-reporting cases and deaths.
Many have pointed out that the number of COVID-19 funerals in crematoriums across the state is multipole times higher than the toll the government has projected.
Last month, a video had surfaced online showing mass creations of COVID-19 victims in Lucknow. After the video went viral, authorities blocked the view of the crematorium with tin sheets.?
Though the Yogi government maintains that there is no shortage of hospital beds and medical oxygen in the state, the number of people dying there every day is telling a different story.
There are also reports that the situation is critical in several rural areas, but infections and deaths there go unreported because of the lack of testing facilities.
The Yogi government had also come under criticism after it tried to silence those seeking help on social media by threatening to confiscate their assets for 'creating panic'.
