Amidst allegations of Kerala suppressing the Covid-19 death toll, the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front on Tuesday came out with a state government agency's report showing that the Covid-19 deaths in Kerala so far was over 23,000, while the figures being officially declared was only around 16,000.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that as per the information received from state government agency Information Kerala Mission, the Covid deaths in the state was 23,486 up to July 13. But it was only 16,170 in the official figures presented by the government on Monday. Even then there was a difference of over 7,300, he said.
Satheesan said that the state government was denying due benefits to the families of Covid victims by suppressing the figures and the opposition would move legally against it.
The opposition also staged a walkout from the house after permission was denied for an adjournment motion to discuss the hardships being faced by the people owing to the prolonging lockdown.
Meanwhile, 22,129 more Covid cases were reported in the state on Tuesday. While 1.79 lakh tests were conducted, the test positivity rate was 12.35 per cent.
A delegation of left-front MPs from Kerala called on union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and urged that adequate Covid vaccines should be supplied to the state as vaccination in state came to halt owing to shortage. The Minister assured positively, said the MPs.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks