With the extended lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country scheduled to come to an end on 3 May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his interaction with chief ministers via video conference on Monday, 27 April, said that emphasis needs to be laid on both the economy as well as the fight against COVID-19.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Modi said that the danger of COVID-19 is far from over and underlined the importance of constant vigilance. He told the CMs that the efforts of the states should be directed towards converting COVID-19 red zones into orange zones, and thereafter into green zones.
The lockdown has yielded positive results, with the country having managed to save thousands of lives in the past one-and-a-half months, he said, adding that the impact of COVID-19 will remain visible in the coming months, as masks and face covers would become a part of normal life.
The Centre and the state governments have been giving gradual relaxation from the ongoing lockdown in various fields and sectors to boost economic activities and also to provide relief to people. But some states have expressed willingness to extend the lockdown beyond 3 May to ensure that coronavirus cases remain under control.
This is the fourth such interaction Modi held with chief ministers since 22 March, when he first spoke to them on the coronavirus situation in the country and steps taken – both by the Centre and the states – to contain the pandemic. Two days later on 24 March, the prime minister announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown and extended it till 3 May on 14 April, the last day of the initial three-week shutdown.
'Took Necessary Guidance’: UP CM Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in the state in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday.
"All of us are waging a battle against COVID-19 under the able leadership of the prime minister," he said in a tweet.
"During today's interaction with the prime minister and Home Minister Amit Shah through video-conferencing, I apprised them of the situation in Uttar Pradesh and also took necessary guidance from them," Adityanath also said in his tweet.
'Efforts on to Revive Economic Activities’: Haryana CM Khattar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday, 27 April, in his interaction with the prime minister, said the state was fully prepared to deal with any situation arising due to the coronavirus crisis.
“Efforts are being made to revive economic activities in the state in a safe manner,” Khattar said.
Haryana has so far reported 299 coronavirus cases. The figure includes 24 foreign nationals. Three fatalities have been reported in the state so far.
Khattar also urged the Centre to take quick steps to remove the prevailing uncertainty around the dates of competitive examinations like the Combined Defence Services, the JEE and the NEET, an official statement said. Earlier, state Health Minister Anil Vij had said that Haryana has done better on many parameters, including the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients, than other states.
Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala had said that in compliance with the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, an initiative had been taken to bring industrial and economic activities in the state to normalcy in a phased manner and to revive them, online applications had been invited from industries. Committees have been formed at the block, district and state levels to allow the industries, which are not in containment zones, to operate with certain conditions, he had said.
Nitish Kumar On Bringing Students Back From Kota
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday, 27 April told Prime Minister Narendra Modi the state is scrupulously adhering to the central guidelines on lockdown, and it will not be possible to bring back students from places like Kota until the directions are suitably amended.
In the same video conference along with chief ministers of other states, Kumar spoke about many states having arranged for return of students from the Rajasthan town, and also made an oblique reference to the pressure from opposition parties that his government has been facing on the issue.
"Our students are not just in Kota but also many other parts of the country... it would not be possible to bring them back until the Centre amends its guidelines, which we are adhering to suitably," he said.
‘Urge You Not to Get Overconfident’: PM Modi
In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address on Sunday, the prime minister had said the country is in the middle of a 'yudh' (war) and asserted that people have to continue being careful and take precautions.
His note of caution had come against the backdrop of the Union government and states relaxing lockdown norms to revive economic activities.
“I urge you not to get overconfident. You should in your over-enthusiasm not think that if the coronavirus has not yet reached your city, village, street or office, it is not going to reach now. Never make such a mistake. The experience of the world tells us a lot in this regard,” he had said.
Modi referred to a popular Hindi idiom ‘Sawdhani hati, durghatna ghati’ (accident happens when caution is lowered) to make his point.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)
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