Goa governor holds meeting with CM, asks state govt to plug ‘shortfalls’

Goa governor Satya Pal Malik asked the chief minister and other senior officials to plug the “shortfalls” of the state administration in fighting the spread of Covid-19,

Goa governor Satya Pal Malik asked the chief minister and other senior officials to plug the “shortfalls” of the state administration in fighting the spread of Covid-19, in an extensive meeting at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday.

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The meeting is seen as a run-in between the governor and the chief minister over the handling of the crisis. Chief minister Pramod Sawant, who is under fire from opposition parties as well as civil society, also found himself under the scanner, with the governor questioning the “error of judgement” in not locking down Vasco da Gama, the epicentre of the virus in the state, due to which the entire state is under threat.

“I have raised several issues during the meeting. Wherever they have done a good job, I commended, and where they have fallen short, I have also pointed it out. Wherever there was a need like food supply, the quality of food, menu, the cleanliness of the Covid centres — bathrooms are overflowing — shortage of ambulances, the shortfalls were discussed. To a great extent, the health secretary has spoken and clarified what steps are being taken,” Malik said, addressing a local TV station.

“As far as the tests are concerned, Goa is doing very well, management is fine too. But what happened here is that we became satisfied too early when we shouldn’t have. We relaxed the lockdown, and now, when the cases are rising, we are locking down again. When people were saying that Vasco should have been locked down, we didn’t do it. It has grown a lot and now we are doing it. There was an error of judgement,” Malik said.

The governor had called for a meeting with the chief minister, chief secretary, health secretary and other officials due to the rise in number of cases, deaths as well as reports in the media over poor condition of Covid Care centres.

The governor’s comments are in sharp contrast to the chief minister’s, who said the governor told them that the realised he was misinformed by media reports. “He was getting wrong information from the media and social media and we have given him the right information. In fact, he told us that what we are doing is very good. Social media, print media and electronic media are showing the wrong picture. That’s what he said. He said that the good side should be shown,” Sawant said.

The governor, however, refuted the statement. “It is definitely wrong to say that I have blamed the press. The issue of the press (coverage) didn’t come up (during the meeting). I have definitely not criticised the press. The press is our strength, through which we get feedback and only then can we go forward. The CM has said that I have said this, but I haven’t. He shouldn’t have said that. I definitely didn’t say that,” Malik said.

This isn’t the first time there were “perceived differences” between the Goa governor and the chief minister. In May, the governor was forced to clarify as being “in bad taste” news reports which he said “portrays differences and divergences between him and the chief minister in handling the crisis.”

Goa has seen a spike in cases of the coronavirus and deaths with nearly 3,000 cases and 19 deaths.