With a steady decline in daily positive figures and positivity rate, Election Commission of India (ECI) is seen easing Covid-19 restrictions in campaigning for the state assembly elections. For two consecutive days, the daily positive figure has gone under 100 while the positivity rate hovers around 5 per cent. Yet on the other hand, vaccination is not up to the desired level.
Vaccination in the valley districts had been going on well while the hill districts are lagging behind in both first and second doses, more particularly in Ukhrul, Kangpokpi and Senapati districts. In Ukhrul, it is only 31.06 per cent for first dose and 20.61 per cent for second dose. In Kangpokpi, it is 22.05 per cent and 14.82 respectively which is extremely low. In Senapati district, it is 34.84 per cent and 27.11 per cent which is slightly better than the other two districts. But, the daily vaccination is moving at a snail’s pace. Except for Chandel and Churachandpur with 73.47 per cent and 60 per cent respectively in the first dose, the other hill districts of Kamjong, Noney, Pherzwal, Tamenglong and Tengnoupal remains under 50 pc in the first dose. Overall, the cumulative percentage for the first dose is 60.25 while for the second dose it is 46.82.
ALSO READ: Manipur reports 92 new COVID-19 positive cases, one death
However, there is no let-down in daily deaths. The Election Commission of India had earlier written to the chief secretaries of five poll-bound states, asking them to “accelerate” the pace of Covid-19 vaccination. The poll panel also expressed concerns over the low percentage of first dose coverage in Manipur. Elections are scheduled to be held in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur this year.
The Election Commission is now allowing meetings and rallies upto a maximum of 50 per cent of the capacity in designated spaces and padayatras with a maximum of 100 persons, while campaigning has been allowed from 6 am till 10 pm by following Covid appropriate behaviour and protocol. Yet, everyone knows that Covid-19 appropriate behaviour is rarely followed in rallies and meetings more particularly the candidates and VIPs attending.
ALSO READ: Political parties, candidates can campaign from 6 am to 10 pm: ECI
Meanwhile, state governor have had two rounds of meeting with religious leaders and attended by state top ranking health officials. In the month of November last year, Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced a target of achieving 100 percent vaccination for Covid-19 in the state by Christmas and he had sought the help and co-operation of the Church, village chiefs or headmen and hill based civil society organisations. But, the percentage of overall vaccination rate in the state had moved only an inch.
So, what is stopping the state or district administrations from increasing the rate of vaccination like others have done. Perhaps, the fault lies in the lack of initiative or innovation on the part of the district administrators. Elections cannot be postponed at any cost except in times of war or emergency, as the Election Commission of India is duty bound to uphold the Constitution of India. So, the state health machinery needs to speed up the vaccination process in war footing, so as to ensure public safety while also fulfilling constitutional obligations.
