New Delhi: Rajasthan government has been patting its back over better management of Covid-19 patients and fatalities in the state but this alleged report of discrepancies in Covid deaths in the state, brings a lot of embarrassment for it.
Cornered and questioned over alleged underreporting of Covid-19 deaths in Rajasthan, Gehlot government has ordered an audit of fatalities due to Coronavirus.
The decision to audit deaths comes following media reports that the number of Covid casualties in the state are much higher than the official figure.
Alleged discrepancies in Covid deaths
According to the state health department, 7,911 people have succumbed to Covid-19 in Rajasthan till date.
However, a news daily claimed its survey listed 14,482 deaths in the state’s 25 rural districts between April 1 and May 20 this year alone, while the government’s record puts the number of deaths in this period to 3,918.
An India Today report claimed that Momasar village in Dungargarh of Rajasthan had over a dozen deaths allegedly due to pandemic but this wasn’t admitted in government records.
Journalist Sushant Sinha also shared a report published in a local daily, giving a clear account of fatalities due to Covid-19 but the state govt fudged the numbers to lower the total count. According to it, more than 2900 people died in certain part of the state but the administered allegedly reduce the figure to around 600.
सैंपलिंग नहीं हुई इसलिए आपकी मौत कोरोना से नहीं मानी जाएगी। शायद @RahulGandhi इस “राजस्थान मॉडल” के बारे में जानते हैं इसलिए ट्वीट कर रहे थे कि राज्यों के दिए आंकड़े जोड़कर सामने रखनेवाला केंद्र कोरोना से मौत के सही आंकड़े नहीं बता रहा। pic.twitter.com/4MaprXEqVT
— Sushant Sinha (@SushantBSinha) May 27, 2021
CM Gehlot orders audit of Covid deaths
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that his government is not hiding the number of COVID-19 deaths and directed officials to conduct an audit of coronavirus fatalities in the state so that the reality is known.
His remarks came after BJP national spokesperson and Jaipur MP Colonel (retd) Rajyavardhan Rathore alleged that the Rajasthan government is under-reporting COVID-19 deaths.
Speaking at a meeting held to review the COVID-19 situation in the state, Gehlot said there is no tradition of hiding the number of deaths in Rajasthan. The state government is worried about the lives of the people, not the figures.
He asked officials to conduct an audit of Covid deaths in the state so that the reality of Covid and non-Covid deaths is known and a decision regarding the social security of families of coronavirus victims” can be taken.
