Uttar Pradesh govt equips 'gaushalas' with oximeters; clarifies 'for staff, not cows'

As Uttar Presh's COVID conundrum continues, Yogi government on Thursday, ordered to install oximeters and rmal scanners in state's gaushalas'. While state govt's press release claimed that oximeters were for cows, an official later clarified that medical equipment was meant for people who work at gaushalas'. Uttar Presh has 2,62,474 active cases and 11,22,669 and 14,151 fatalities.

UP orders gaushalas to be equipped with oximeters

A recent press release from Chief Minister Yogi ityanath's office also said state government has issued instructions to set up help desks in every district for welfare of cows, taking forward its cow protection agenda. government has issued instructions that all cowsheds must strictly follow COVID-19 protocol, and me wearing masks and frequent rmal screening mandatory re. press release on cowsheds said gaushalas' will be equipped with all medical equipment such as oximeters and rmal scanners for cows and or animals as well. Uttar Presh government has alrey passed an ordinance for protecting cows called - Cow Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 - imposing 10 years of imprisonment and up to 5 lakh fine for illegal transportation of bovine animals and cow slaughter.

700 school staff died due to COVID

biggest tragedy in UP amid COVID has been death of 700 school staff who died due to COVID while on poll duty for UP Panchayat polls. As per reports,   Uttar Preshiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh has written to UP CM ityanath and SEC, listing names of all deceased who died due to contracting COVID-19 on poll duty, demanding to defer counting on May 2. Allahab High Court h pulled up Yogi govt over deaths asking why action should not be taken against it for not enforcing Covid protocols. In reply, state government has denied allegations and said it has no proof that teachers died during poll duty and maintained that it did not want to hold panchayat elections, but was forced to conduct it before 30 April due to an HC order. 

Counting was not deferred and BJP managed to win 900 of 3030 Zila panchayat wards it contested, while SP claims to have won 1000 seats, BSP 300 seats, Congress and AAP bagged 70 seats each. This setback to BJP comes a year before crucial UP polls - where Yogi ityanath is eyeing a second term. Over 8.69 lakh posts were up for grabs in se polls. Of se posts, more than 7.32 lakh seats were in gram panchayat wards, 58,176 in gram panchayats, 75,852 in kshetra (block) panchayats and 3,050 in zila panchayats. In all, re were over 12.89 lakh candidates in poll fray, of which 3.19 lakh candidates won unopposed.