UP govt got complacent after coronavirus started weakening, got more involved in panchayat polls: Allahabad HC

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The Allahabad High Court has pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government following the rise in COVID-19 cases in the state, saying it got "complacent" following the weakening of the virus and got more involved in the Panchayat elections.

"It is now an open secret that government had gone complacent due to weakening of virus impact by the end of 2020 in the state and the government got more involved in other activities including Panchayat elections," the high court said on Tuesday. The court also noted that it will not tolerate any paperwork or public announcements to show account of the steps taken by the state government and its sufficiency amid the worsening COVID-19 situation.

"Had the Uttar Pradesh government been constantly vigilant, it would have prepared itself to face the onslaught of the pandemic in its second wave," the court said. The court further said that the posterity would never forgive us if we remain oblivious to the real public health issues and let the people die for want of adequate health care.

Panchayat elections are underway across 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The first phase of voting for Panchayat elections was held on April 15, followed by the second and third phase of voting on April 19 and 26 respectively. The final phase of the voting will be held on April 29. The results for all phases of the election will be announced on May 2. According to official data, there are 3,04,199 active cases of COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh.

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