When the Covid-19 pandemic started wreaking havoc, Chandigarh Administrator and Punjab Governor Vijayender Pal Singh Badnore once said we are in a war and started to have ‘war room meetings’. From 20 March 2020 till 17 August 2021, there have been 70 war room meetings that changed not only the destiny of Chandigarh but Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal as well. It has been five years for him to handle the Punjab and Chandigarh and call it a play of destiny that he proved out to be the most weather-beaten Governor and Administrator who has seen farmers’ protests, political agitation, and the most challenging Covid-19 pandemic, all on his plate to handle. 22nd August 2021— his tenure as Administrator and Punjab Governor is getting over.
There is a reason why Chandigarh people, be it Doctors, Bureaucrats, or common citizens name him the most weather-beaten administrator. His background of Rajasthan plays a major role in the time of Covid-19. His attitude helped Chandigarh sail through the turmoil of the pandemic.
The second wave of the pandemic has been the most challenging for Chandigarh because people from the whole region come to due to PGIMER for treatment.
The 8th May of 2021 could be marked as the most challenging day for the administrator himself. It is when PGIMER and Chandigarh Administration stood at loggerheads against each other for Oxygen supply. Chandigarh Administration blamed PGIMER for using beyond the limit of 20 MT per day Oxygen quota from Anesthetic Gases Pvt Ltd. And PGIMER, for the first time in its history, blamed Chandigarh Administration for hampering its Oxygen supply. On the other hand, Chandigarh Administration was wishing to ration the Oxygen supply because of meeting the peaking demand of 40 MT per day quota of Oxygen in the city.
PGIMER was of the view that it has already crossed its limit of 20 MT per day Oxygen quota as people from Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal, Delhi were coming here for treatment. Doctors’ hands were full with patients who were gasping for breath. Then at night, Badnore around 10:52 PM, through his Twitter handle ensured his people of Chandigarh and PGIMER that there would be ‘no oxygen shortage’ in PGIMER and any city hospital.
This decision made every Chandigarhian have a sigh of relief. His decisions of managing Oxygen and creating Oxygen plants in city hospitals are even applauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 May 2021, along with this Badnore got appreciation from WHO regarding the Chandigarh Administration initiatives in containing Covid- creation on ‘micro containment zones’ on July 29, 2020.