In Telangana, social distancing as a means to contain the spread of COVID-19 is stressed upon by various agencies of the state government. This is done through various bulletins, advertisements and appeals by the police. However, when it comes to the political class in the state, many appear to have taken social distancing measures lightly.
Many ministers, including the Health Minister of the state, have posed for photos of them doing relief work, attending events, inspecting infrastructure, etc, with scant regard for social distancing norms. While it’s crucial that relief work is done in the time of pandemic, and that essential items reach those who need them, critics say it’s also important that leaders in the state are seen practicing what they preach.
Minister for Environment, Forests, Science and Technology as well as Endowments and Law, A Indrakaran Reddy, the MLA from Nirmal constituency, frequently shares #StayAtHome messages on his Facebook page. However, the minister is among those who have posed for photos doing relief work, life distributing food etc. And in these photos, his team members crowd around him for the sake of the photograph, without any social distancing being maintained.
Not to be left behind, the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development Corporation and Cinematography from Sanathnagar constituency, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, was seen distributing buttermilk, sanitisers, rose flowers and bottles of water on April 5 to sanitation workers, police and ASHA workers with little or no social distancing measures being followed. The minister was seen without a mask and gloves, and posed for photos with health workers without maintaining proper physical distance.
ఈ రోజు సనత్ నగర్ నియోజకవర్గంలో కరోనా నివారణకు అహర్నిశలు శ్రమిస్తున్న పారిశుధ్య కార్మికులకు , పోలీసులకు మరియు ఆశా వర్కర్లకు మజ్జిగ , శానిటైజర్లు , రోజా పూలు మరియు మంచినీళ్ల బాటిల్స్ పంచిన మంత్రి తలసాని శ్రీనివాస్ యాదవ్ గారు.#coronavirus @KTRTRS pic.twitter.com/NMXOcrKvFy
— Talasani Srinivas Yadav (@YadavTalasani) April 5, 2020
Telangana’s Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare and Huzurabad MLA Etela Rajender is the man of the hour in Telangana, as he is leading the state's COVID-19 response. However, on Sunday, the minister attended a blood donation drive organised by minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, which was crowded.
On Saturday, while giving an unscheduled press conference with regard to opening a blood donation camp, he was surrounded by a crowd of media professionals, flouting social distancing norms.
The Minister for Scheduled Castes Development, Minority Welfare and Senior Citizen Welfare from Dharmapuri constituency, Koppula Eshwar had a busy Saturday inaugurating paddy buying centres in the villages of Dharmapuri and Timmapur, and distributing essentials to ASHA workers for a private club in Peddapalli district. And while some photos show that physical distancing norms were followed, in many others, it’s clear that the ‘who’s who’ of the event wanted to be part of the photo-op, giving a miss to distancing rules.
V Srinivas Goud did everything from opening gyms to distributing essential commodities to needy people at Makthal, along with MLA Chittem Rammohan Reddy Garu and Narayanpet District Collector. He also inaugurated paddy procurement at the village level. The minister for Excise & Prohibition, Sports and Youth Services and Archaeology from Mahabubnagar constituency is active during the lockdown but barely follows any social distancing measures.
The minister for Labour & Employment and Factories from Medchal constituency, Chamakura Malla Reddy is at the forefront of distributing rations to the needy – but he has also not been following proper social distancing. The minister has also actively taken part in Ambedkar Jayanthi celebrations.
బోడుప్పల్ లో డిప్యూటీ మేయర్ కొత్త లక్ష్మి రవి గౌడ్ గారి ఆధ్వర్యంలో నిరుపేద ప్రజలకు నిత్యవసర సరుకులను పంపిణి చేయడం జరిగింది.
— Chamakura Malla Reddy (@chmallareddyMLA) April 17, 2020
మేయర్ బుచ్చి రెడ్డి గారు,మున్సిపల్ కమీషనర్ శంకర్ గారు,మాజీ జెడ్పిటిసి సంజీవ రెడ్డి గారు,కార్పొరేటర్లు తదితరులు పాల్గొన్నారు. @KTRTRS pic.twitter.com/jMsLDsAchi
Apart from these ministers,Gangula Kamalakar minitser for BC Welfare, Food and Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister, Puvvada Ajay Kumar the states Transport Minister and Satyavathi Rathod minister for ST Welfare and Women and Child Welfare Minister all posted pictures of themselves on social media with little regard for social distancing.
KT Rama Rao, the minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industry & Commerce, Information Technology appears to be the only minister, who, despite being on the ground visiting containment zones and meeting with ground staff, seems to be following social distancing, at least in the pictures that are uploaded on social media.
I have my #MaskOn Do you?#StayHomeStaySafe #TelanganaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/XHX8kAwqa0
— KTR (@KTRTRS) April 16, 2020
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance has to be maintained between a person and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. WHO explains that when someone coughs or sneezes, they expel small droplets from their nose or mouth, which may contain the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus, if the person coughing or sneezing has the disease.
As of April 15, over 70 officials and employees in Madhya Pradesh from various departments have contracted the coronavirus and are undergoing treatment, and many are under quarantine, reported Hindustan Times. The state doesn't have a health minister and a cabinet is yet to be decided upon, and only the Chief Minister was sworn in. However, he also was placed under quarantine as he had come in contact with several officers who have tested positive. If Telangana ministers have to take social distancing seriously, they need to only look at the response to the COVID-19 crisis in Madhya Pradesh.