Jaipur, April 9 He came to the state capital from Oman on March 19, violated with impunity all the guidelines issued to check the spread of Covid-19 infection.
The result: A chain of over 106 coronavirus cases in the Ramganj area of Jaipur.
That's not all. People of the area are giving the government officials harrowing time. While they are striving to implement the 3T tracing, testing and treatment strategy in the fight against Covid-19, the Ramganj residents are refusing to cooperate with them in any manner.
And yet to top that all, they are misbehaving with the government officials when they visit the area to survey the situation and implement anti-coronavirus guidelines.
Describing the situation, Rajasthan Chief Secretary D.B. Gupta told : "We have been successful in rolling out the Bhilwara model. But following social distancing is difficult in Ramganj. Thus, we decided to shift people to other spacious places where they can be isolated.
"But there is resistance from a particular community. They are refusing to cooperate with the administration in any manner. Hence, we are trying to rope in local religious and political leaders to help in making them understand the importance of cooperation in fighting Covid-19."
The Chief Secretary said the government was acquiring spaces, like university hostels, dharamshalas and hotels, for isolation purposes. 15,000 such beds hade been identified, he added.
Elaborating he said, "We first started quarantine facilities in SMS and then in RUHS (Rajasthan University of Health Services). Now we are using the NIMS University and the Mahatma Gandhi university facilities."
The attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizammudin of Delhi too contributed to the deterioration of coronavirus situation in the state, he said. The government had appealed them to come out from the areas they were hiding or tough action would be taken against them, the Chief Secretary added.
Pointing to the role of the coronavirus super-spreader, he said on return from Oman, he continued to roam around with his friends. He also shared his residence with 24 others.
Of the 24 family members and equal number of members of his friends' family, 46 tested Covid-19 positive. Several of their contacts have also tested positive, who must have spread the infection to newer locations of the city.
( With inputs from IANS )