VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has objected to the “baseless” reports being published by a section of the media and said that they were written out of jealousy, as the state is being applauded for its effective handling of the Covid19 scene.
During a review meeting on Covid here on Monday, the Chief Minister said the stories were written in such a way as to create panic among the people and that legal action must be taken on the two media houses.
Officials said legal action will be taken against two media houses in this respect.
The CM said a publication had highlighted that patients died due to lack of oxygen in Ashram Hospital. In reality, medical oxygen is abundant in the state, he said.
Jagan said the reports were "completely baseless, written with a mischievous mindset, without any humanity.”
“People would have believed such reports if they were written during the peak of the pandemic spread. Now, the cases are declining, registering an average positivity rate of less than five per cent. In the current scenario, over 70 per cent of oxygen beds and ventilators are available for the needy in the state.”
The officials informed the CM that 750 tonnes of medical oxygen was used when Covid was at its peak. Now, the daily usage has come down to just 180 tonnes. All the oxygen allocations given to the state are being stored at the Visakhapatnam steel plant and can be used when required.
The Chief Minister questioned how there could be a shortage of oxygen when the production is surplus in the state.
He criticised a media house for publishing a report misquoting him. “The post of Chief Minister is being devalued and degraded by such writings.”
He said while the government is seriously conducting Covid review meetings, such media houses are making fun as if the officials are attending the review meets by way of time-pass.
The CM said the state has a good reputation in dealing with Covid by successfully controlling it. This was possible only because of the efforts put in by all the officers and staff. Starting from the village level to state level, this was made possible by the ANM, volunteers, collectors, district and zonal officers, and medical staff, he stressed.
The officials said legal action will be taken against the two media houses for defaming the government.
