How Rajasthan Manage to Clock 75% COVID-19 Recovery Rate

Rajasthan had recently reported a 75 per cent recovery rate of COVID-19, higher than the national average of 50.59 per cent.

Rajasthan's Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot spoke to The Logical Indian on the challenges that the state government is facing amid the coronavirus outbreak and the measures being taken to contain and curb the transmission of the virus.

While the state has been on a road to recovery with 9,631 COVID-19 patients recovered from the deadly disease, a majority of the coronavirus cases have reportedly been from the migrants who travelled from different parts of the country to the state.

Addressing the issue of managing the migrant exodus, the chief minister said that the migrant movement has definitely added to the number of corona cases but the state government is proactively engaged in regulating the safe entry of the migrant workers.

Precautions include online entry of all such entrants, proper transportation with social distancing, screening, 14 days home quarantine, IT-based monitoring of any violations of quarantine norms and extensive testing in the areas where migrant inflow is sizable.

Talking about the process followed to ensure quarantine to the returning workers, CM Gehlot stated that all the migrants are required to undergo 14 days home quarantine. In addition, the people who have any contact history or Influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms are also required to remain in-home quarantine.

For those who don't have home quarantine facility, they can avail institutional quarantine facility set up by the state government. He mentioned that presently more than 10,000 institutional quarantine centres are available. Additionally, quarantine violations are monitored through IT-based systems and violations are being dealt with firmness.

"Rajasthan has created an online platform to register migrants including workers who wanted to come to and go out of Rajasthan. More than 24 lakh migrants of different categories have registered themselves on this platform," he informed.

Initially, only five trains were provided for Rajasthan. The state government then started free of cost Shramik Special Buses to accelerate this process. These buses are being operated as per requirements in different districts.

Arrangements of food, water, lodging have been made at different places so that workers do not have to walk and remain inaccessible to the basic facilities.

The deployment of Shramik Special Buses has eased out the situation substantially. The state war room is contacting each person who registered for travel in and out of Rajasthan.

Gehlot stressed on the fact that there is an increase in the inflow of people by various modes, the possibility of an increase in the number of coronavirus cases have risen too.

"Nonetheless the government cannot be oblivious of the needs of people stuck up for a long period of time. We have put in place detailed guidelines for handling the inflow of passengers by domestic flights," he added.

People who are coming for a longer stay are required to undergo home quarantine of 14 days. The guidelines also point out that passengers coming for a period shorter than seven days are required to carry a negative corona test-report which is not older than two days of arrival and if a passenger is not carrying such test report than that person is sent to quarantine and made to undergo a corona test immediately on arrival.

The minister further specified that quarantine management has been a high-priority concern for his government. He details the strategy that state level, district level, subdivision level and panchayat level quarantine committees have been formed to ensure effective implementation.

There is an online system of monitoring to ensure 100% compliance of quarantine norms. Also, strict action is taken for any violation of quarantine norms and according to him, actions have been taken in more than 1300 cases of breach of quarantine.

The worst-hit sections of the society are the marginalised people who have been made to suffer during the coronavirus lockdown, to cater to the livelihood problems of the poor and deprived sections, the state government is surveying such roadside vendors and people of other such 37 categories who have lost their employment.

"This is to ensure that free of cost wheat may be provided to them. It is the endeavour of the state government that no person should sleep hungry," he added.

The Rajasthan government has deposited Rs. 2500 each in the accounts of nearly 33 lakh people who are not covered under the social security pension schemes. Those people who did not have the bank accounts were given cash through the district collector.

CM Gehlot highlighted that till now, 3.6 crore dry ration kits/ cooked food packets have been distributed to such people. Similarly, 1.10 crore families covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) have been provided 10 kg wheat per person free of cost for 3 months.

Over 34 lakh people who were not getting wheat under NFSA quota from the union government, have been provided free of cost 10 kg. wheat per person for 3 months. This has been procured by the state from Food Corporation of India (FCI) at the rate of Rs. 21 per kg. with a total cost of 80 crores.

Addressing the issue of reviving the economy that has severely suffered due to the pandemic, he said that the state government is taking all possible steps to bring back the economy on the track and ensure economic growth at a faster speed. Concrete steps are being taken to create a conducive environment for the revival of industrial units.

Early on, for resuming economic activities and imparting an impetus to the state economy, his government had constituted a task force headed by Sh. Arvind Mayaram (Retd. Finance Secretary, GOI) to suggest a combat plan and policy interventions.

Special attention is being paid to the trade, industries, service sector, real estate, the farm sector and all other sectors that would help speed up the economic growth of the state. Employment generation is one of the topmost priorities of the state government and the authorities would come out with the policies realigned to the needs of different sectors.

Rajasthan is fighting twin menace - coronavirus and locust invasion, which has now terrorised several states in the country.

"It is unfortunate that the farmers who are already distressed due to lockdown are also facing the locust onslaught. Last year also there was severe locust attack and crop damage but the state government provided timely and adequate relief to the farmers.

Learning from the last year's experience, the state has done planning to arrange for the machinery, manpower, resources etc. We expect the locust warning organization, an organ of the central government, to be better equipped with necessary resources.

I believe that we have to devise new methods to control the locust attack. Relief through crop insurance and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) funds will be ensured in cases of crop damage due to locust," said the Chief Minister.

He explained that his government is committed in strengthening the state's health infrastructure even during the corona phase. All district hospitals are equipped to have the testing and treatment facilities for coronavirus which includes isolation beds, testing machines and manpower, strengthening of laboratories, the arrangement of equipment such as ventilators, PPE kits and other things.

Also, Rajasthan government's initiative of making operational 550 mobile OPD vans for non-corona patients in their localities, has been a phenomenal success, he said.

"Telemedicine services by way of "esanjeevaniopd" portal is yet another significant step in the right direction. We would work tirelessly to translate the essence of "Nirogi Rajasthan" into a reality," asserted CM Gehlot.

Speaking to the Logical Indian, the Chief Minister said that the states have put all their resources to control the spread of COVID-19. The successive lockdowns have, however, adversely affected the economy of the states.

He said that Rajasthan government has not received any separate fund from the Union government, whatever funds have been received from the Centre, they are the regular share of the state which it would have got even without the pandemic.

"It would be better if the central government had taken decisions on our demands and issued packages to the states," he opined.

He stated that the 20 lakh crore relief-package announced by the Union government does not contain any direct financial assistance to the state governments.

"Almost 90 per cent of the package announced by the Government Of India is like loans to various categories of entrepreneurs. Creations of demand are vital for any industry to swing into action. For the creation of demand, an increase in purchasing power by way of direct cash grants to a huge deprived section of society would have been an effective component of the package," said CM Gehlot.