Kerala Guv Arif Mohammad Khan chills in the hills, MLAs slam holiday during crisis

Mangalore Today News Network

Kerala, Mar 16, 2020: Kerala lawmakers from both the government and opposition have criticised Governor Arif Mohammad Khan for going on vacation with a 60-member crew while state authorities battle the outbreak of Covid-19, the new coronavirus disease.

 

Kerala has placed close to 11,000 people under watch and shut down cinema halls and major tourist attractions to avoid large gatherings. But that hasn’t stopped Governor Khan and his family from holidaying in Ponmudi, a hill station in Thiruvananthapuram district that was shut down for tourists in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, IndiaToday reported.

"We are all working together to overcome this crisis. The state machinery is overstretched," said V K Prasanth, an MLA from the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).

District Forest Officer Shri K I Pradeep Kumar and Range Officer, Palode, briefed Hon’ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan about welfare measures for people of the tribal settlement. Steps taken to control spread of diseases in the settlement were also discussed #Ponmudi pic.twitter.com/tNNIvKIDXW

— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) March 15, 2020

Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s entourage including personal staff, police personnel and doctors are occupying a total of 12 rooms in a guest house and government hotel, a highly placed source in the Kerala government told India Today TV.

The security team is lead by the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Nedumangad, who had to skip a major meeting on Covid-19 due to his deployment in Ponmudi.

Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, on his part, said he had held a discussion on steps taken to control the spread of disease in a tribal settlement in Ponmudi.

"At a time when the state is battling a deadly epidemic, it is unfortunate that the Hon’ble Governor is on vacation in the Ponmudi hills with an entourage of 60 people", said K Sabarinathan, an MLA from the Congress, which leads the opposition alliance.

India has a total of 110 Covid-19 cases, including two people who have died and 13 who have been discharged.

Kerala has reported 22 cases so far one of the highest counts among Indian states. Three people have recovered.