President RN Kovind: Pandemic was disastrous, share people’s grief
President lauds Olympic contingent and winners for bringing honour to the country, Shares developments on J&K, new Parliament buildings etc.
New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) The Coronavirus pandemic has had a disastrous impact on the economy, as well as health, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Saturday expressing grief over the lives lost due to the virus.
The President said India is celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, as he addressed the nation on the eve of the 75th Independence Day. He lauded the Indian Olympic team, and highlighted the performance of women players.
Talking about the Covid 19 pandemic, President Kovind said he was “deeply sad” about the lives that could not be saved.
“I am deeply sad that many lives could not be saved and many more suffered immensely in this phase of an unprecedented crisis. I speak for the whole nation when I say that I share the grief of all the affected families with the same intensity.” He said the second wave brought India’s public healthcare infrastructure under stress.
“The reality is that no infrastructure, even of advanced economies, could withstand a crisis of such enormous proportions,” he said. Talking about the economic situation, President Kovind said the economic impact of the pandemic was disastrous. “The economic impact of the pandemic is as disastrous as its health impact. The government has been concerned about the lower middle classes and the poor, as well as about the small and medium industries,” he said.
He said the government has been “sensitive to the needs of the labourers and of employers who have been facing hardships due to the lockdowns and movement restrictions” and had undertaken a series of relief measures last year.
Kovind also lauded the states, private sector healthcare facilities, the civil society and others which supplemented the government efforts in fighting the pandemic.
“Due to the efforts, the nation breathes a sigh of relief with the return of a semblance of normalcy. If we have learned our lessons well, we know that this is the time of extra care and caution,” he said, adding we shall not let our guard down. The President also urged eligible citizens to get vaccinated.
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