CMs request extension of curbs, economic push
With exception of Andhra Pradesh, states ask for curbs until April 30
NEWDELHI:Prime Minister Narendra Modi told chief ministers who took part in a meeting with him by video conference on Saturday that the lockdown for the Covid-19 will be in force until April 30, a 16-day extension, with selective easing of curbs to revive economic activity in part, CMs who took part in the meeting said.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and her Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray said the lockdown will continue beyond April 14, when it is due to end, until the end of the month. Goa CM Pramod Sawant said the PM would address the nation and announce some guidelines to revive economic activity in part.
A majority of the chief ministers on Saturday advocated an extension of the lockdown until the end of April except Andhra Pradesh’s Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who said the emergency measure should be restricted only to so-called red zones. Some CMs said lockdown should be enforced in the red zones even beyond April 30.
“While I support the steps being taken by the Centre to contain the Covid-19 situation, I also feel that the wheel of the economy should continue to run, if not with full speed, but to the extent of providing basic necessities to the people and in non-red zones,” Reddy said. “Millions of workers would not get salaries due to lack of industrial operations and the revenues of the state would see a steep fall, as a result of which it cannot implement any development and welfare schemes,” he said.Red zones are areas that contain Covid-19 hotspots or containment areas, whose residents are confined indoors to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread. An area free of the virus is a yellow zone. A neighbourhood that hasn’t reported even a single Covid-19 case is designated a green zone. About half the 718 districts in India have not reported any Covid-19 case, according to data released by health ministry.
“The lockdown for the next two weeks will be different from what is being implemented currently. Agricultural and industrial sectors will be given relaxation. Government offices will function with partial strength and the additional guidelines stated by the PM would be issued in the next couple of days,” said Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa
At the meeting with the PM, the CMs of some opposition-ruled states raised the issue of shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers, the adverse impact of Covid-19 on medium and small industries and also sought additional funds to fight the pandemic.
Banerjee urged the PM to spend at least 6% of GDP on fighting the crisis and announce a National Economic and Health Package worth ~10 lakh crore for state governments; a ~1.7 lakh crore package announced by the Centre was less than 1% of GDP, she said. The Rajasthan and Telangana
CMs sought similar assistance, noting that state revenues had shrunk because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren sought the release of compensation for a shortfall in Goods and Service Tax (GST) revenues and increase the fiscal deficit limit from the present 3% to 4% under the Fiscal and Budget Responsibility Act (FBRM).
These CMS also asked the Centre to allow agriculture and allied activities during lockdown, distribution of subsidised ration for three months and free storage for procurement of foodgrains.
They also sought the expansion of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to include agricultural activities during the extension of lockdown till April end.
While supporting the call for extension of lockdown, Madhya Pradesh CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, suggested a “lock-in” concept whereby factory workers could perform their jobs work and stay on in the premises until the lockdown is lifted, officials in the chief minister’s office said.