No Data On Student Suicides, No Data On Migrant Deaths: Govt Has No Data On Almost Everything

While the government wants to have every knowledge of your movement, transactions, etc, it's only ironic that it has no data on all the issues that the country is currently facing.

The Centre has come under immense criticism for failing to provide data on the deaths of migrant workers during the coronavirus pandemic, who were forced to take long journeys on foot in the scorching heat.

The information available already in the public domain highlights that the data is stark and the government is only stonewalling information.

Ever since the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the government has denied having any data on several issues which are of public interest. Data is crucial to understand how deep a problem is and in the event of absence of one, it only highlights the lackadaisical approach.

No Data On Student Suicides

On Saturday, the government denied having any data on student suicides during the lockdown.

DMK MP Kanimozhi had asked the government for details regarding student suicides during the lockdown due to lack of access to digital means.

The Ministry of Education to whom the question was posed in the Lok Sabha claimed that they do not possess the data.

Govt Denies Having Any Data On Migrant Deaths

On September 14, the Union Labour Ministry said there is no data on migrant deaths so the "question does not arise" of compensation.

The ministry was replying to a question on whether families of those who had lost their lives while trying to reach home in the coronavirus lockdown had been compensated.

Reuters

The government's response which came on day 1 of the monsoon session of the Lok Sabha was met with strong criticism from the opposition.

With this, the government has once again ignored the plight of the masses when they were forced to set on a thousands of kilometres long journey when the lockdown was announced earlier this year in March. The long journey of days and weeks turned fatal for hundreds of migrant workers who were forced to go back to their villages after there was no employment and a means of survival left for them.

No Record Of MSMEs That Shut During Lockdown

Centre claimed there's no record of the number of medium and small businesses (MSME) that have closed during the pandemic.

Pratap Chandra Sarangi was asked about the number of small and medium businesses that closed shop from March to August 2020. The Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) replied in a statement to Rajya Sabha, ¡®COVID-19 epidemic has temporarily affected various sectors including micro, small scale enterprises which also affected job scenario. No such record is available¡¯.

In addition he said, there was no data on the number of MSMEs closed down from FY 2014-15 to FY 2019-20 either.

No Data On Doctors' Death During COVID

The government, while giving data on the number of doctors and healthcare workers who died during COVID, said as many as 155 healthcare staff, including 64 doctors, have died due to coronavirus till September 11.

The government quoted ¡¯Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting Covid-19¡¯ which provides relief in case of death of such workers.

File Photo

Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey was responding to a question on the number of healthcare staff, including doctors, nurses, support staff and ASHA workers, affected by the disease. He told Rajya Sabha that health is a state subject and ¡±such data is not maintained at central level.

Centre's claims were refuted by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and accused the government of "indifference", "abdication" and "abandonment of heroes".

The IMA has been infuriated after union health minister Dr Harshavadhan's statement on coronavirus in parliament, which had no word on the doctors who died in the line of duty, and Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey's statement that the Centre had no data as health is a state subject.

According to IMA, 382 doctors died in the COVID-19 pandemic.

No Data On Number Of Plasma Banks In Country

Convalescent plasma therapy has not been recommended by the Ministry of Health as a mainstay of COVID-19 therapy and there is no proposal under consideration to set up plasma banks, Rajya Sabha was informed.

In a written reply, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey said states have taken initiative to establish such banks to provide plasma therapy to COVID-19 patients but no central database of such banks is maintained.

He was responding to a question on the total number of plasma banks running at present to provide plasma therapy to the Corona/COVID-19 patients in the country state-wise and if the government proposes to set up more plasma banks to cope with disease in the country.