COVID fatalities way less in Karnataka due to effective management, says Governor in joint address to Legislature

Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Monday said fatalities in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic were way less compared to other parts of the world due to effective management.

Addressing the joint session of the Karnataka Legislature, which started on Monday and will go on till February 25, Gehlot said, ”Karnataka won the E-governance award for its effective COVID-19 management using technology. The state relied on five Ts — Testing, Tracing, Tracking, Treatment and Technology.”

The vaccination drive was carried out at 6,000 centers and 9.33 crore doses were given to the eligible population. ”The state succeeded in giving 100 percent the first dose and 85 percent the second dose. The state conducted over six crore tests,” Gehlot told the House.

The Governor said the state managed to cope with the third wave by increasing the oxygen production and the government is utilizing the Rs 840 crore grant effectively.

According to him, the state is the second place in terms of telemedicine-based health services under the National Health Mission.

Speaking about the floods which battered certain parts of Karnataka last year, Gehlot said the state government opened 496 relief centers for 1,38,504 flood-affected people. The government also paid Rs 10,000 as an instant relief amount to each of the flood-hit families.

The Governor said the state gave a total of Rs 85.86 crore to 85,862 families. The government also paid Rs 135.73 crore to those whose houses were damaged.

Similarly, Rs 1,253 crore was paid to 18 lakh farmers through direct benefit transfer under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

Gehlot said Karnataka is the first state to implement the new National Education Policy, and spoke about various welfare schemes, mining policy, enhancing infrastructure, and transport facilities in Bengaluru and other parts of the State, irrigation projects, and power projects.