Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)

Udupi, May 29: Chief minister (CM) B S Yediyurappa approved the request of minister Kota Srinivas Poojary to treat the members of local bodies which include gram panchayats as Covid warriors and administer vaccine to them. A memorandum was submitted on Thursday to the CM who passed an order.

Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas stated in the memorandum, “There are over 95,000 members in more than 6,020 gram panchayats in the state and they were part of COVID-19 task forces at panchayat levels. Hence, panchayat presidents, vice presidents and members should meet Covid positive patients’ houses. In such cases, they will be in regular contact with the general public and visit houses of residents thereby exposing themselves to the pandemic. Similar is the case with members of town panchayats, municipalities, city municipal councils and city corporations.

“Hence, they are working as frontline warriors in order to curb the spreading Covid pandemic. I urge the government to give Covid 19 vaccines on priority basis to the members of all the local bodies,” he stated in his memorandum.

Hence, on his request, the CM declared that local body representatives are Covid frontline warriors and issued an order to provide vaccines to them on priority.