Declare Covid a natural calamity, Uddhav to PM

NIGHT CURFEWS IN 20 DISTRICTS OF ODISHA

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has demanded that the Covid19 pandemic be announced as a national calamity so that the state can utilise the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to provide financial assistance to the affected people.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thackeray has expressed the possibility that the caseload of active patients, which is presently 5.64 lakh in Mahara-shtra, is likely to double by the end of April by reaching up to 11.9 lakh. To ensure prompt treatment of these patients, the Centre should allow air transportation of medical oxygen, he said.

“The medical oxygen requirement in Maharashtra at present is 1,200 metric tonnes, but the demand is likely to rise by

2,000 MT by April end. The Centre has allowed to procure oxygen from steel plants in eastern and southern parts of the country. But to save time, it needs to be airlifted under the national disaster management act,” said Thackeray in his letter.

According to state officials, the state needs the permission from the Centre to use the SDRF, which was constituted under the Central Disaster Management Act, 2005. By notifying the pandemic as natural calamity would

The Odisha government on Thursday evening decided to clamp stricter restrictions in the form of night curfew across the state and weekend shutdowns in 10 districts bordering Chhattisgarh to contain the Covid-19 spread.

As per the latest announcement, the state government decided to clamp night curfew in urban areas of 20 districts including the Twin Cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar which will come into force from Friday.

The restrictions will be clamped from 9 pm to 5 am, informed state chief secretary Suresh Mohapatra in a specialised televised address. According to Mohapatra, government revised the timings of night curfew which is already in force in 10 districts of the state sharing borders with Chhattisgarh.

allow the state to pay a daily grant of `100 and `60 to adults and children respectively during the lockdown period to those registered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Household ration card holders, said Thackeray.