Nitish govt faces High Court heat over contradictory deaths figures

New Delhi: With Bihar government not "revealing" the actual number of deaths caused due to Covid-19, it seems Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advice to the state to report pandemic numbers transparently has gone into the drain as the number of deaths reported by Bihar Chief Secretary Tripurari Sharan and the Patna Divisional Commissioner in their affidavits submitted to Patna High Court found highly contradictory, especially in Buxar, where over 70 bodies had surfaced on the river banks last week.

In the Chief Secretary's affidavit, it has been claimed that just six people died since March 1 in Buxar, while the Divisional Commissioner's official statement said that 789 cremations took place at Muktidham Charitraban Ghat at Buxar between May 5 and May 14.

The Bihar government, which is led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, faced the heat of the Patna High Court over the contradictory affidavits, which have been submitted just a few days after corpses found floating on the banks of the Ganga in Bihar's Buxar.

Slamming 'discrepancies' in the number of deaths reported by different official agencies, the judges of the High Court directed the Principal Health Secretary to submit a fresh report within two days after verifying all details.

While hearing a bunch of PILs over the pandemic and its management, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S Kumar observed, "We're aghast at the way in which the two separate affidavits with two different figures of deaths in Buxar district are being filed before the court. The court deserves the correct and verified figures from the government".

The High Court observed that the documents did not clarify how many deaths were from Covid-19 and the HC asked the state government to explain about the other causes of death according to age groups.

The judges also noted that Buxar has a population of nearly 17 lakh and if in 10 days 789 were cremated only in one crematorium, what could have been the situation of the entire district.

"The Chief Secretary does not say six deaths are only due to Covid-19. The commissioner also does not say that 789 deaths are non-Covid ones. The total population of Buxar is 17 lakh, but the figures are only for Nagar Parishad. There is no mention of the religion or age groups of the dead. Last rites may have been performed at burial grounds," the bench said, adding that the official Bihar government website was not updated on the number of deaths.