Due to the lock down all over the country, many problems have erupted. It is inevitable to cope with the pandemic however, there should be state-wise planning. You should also consider a possibility of selective lock down, without compromising health and people’s livelihood.
Modi tells MPs lockdown only way to curb Covid-19 spread, hints at extension beyond 14 April
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said a decision on extending the nationwide lockdown will be made after consulting chief ministers of all states on 11 April, but reiterated that a lockdown is the only solution to containing the spread of the disease.
The Prime Minister made his comments in his first interaction with all the parliamentary floor leaders of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha since the lockdown was imposed on 25 March. According to the initial orders, the lockdown will remain in place until 14 April.
In this time, India has seen its number of active Covid-19 cases jump from a few hundred to nearly 5,000. There have been over 140 deaths while more than 400 people have recovered. Worldwide, more than 1.44 million people have been infected.
“The PM told us that all indications are that the lockdown can’t be lifted. But his government will take a final decision only after he consults all the CMs,” Pinaki Misra, Biju Janata Dal’s leader in the Lok Sabha told ThePrint after the meeting that lasted over three-and-a-half hours.
The nationwide lockdown shut down everything except a few essential services, bringing the economy to a grinding halt. With less than a week left for the lockdown to end, many of the opposition leaders sought to know about the government’s next plan of action and if the lockdown will be extended.
‘Lockdown the only way’
Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party president and Rajya Sabha MP, said that due to the lockdown, many problems have erupted.
“It is important to cope with the pandemic. However, there should be state-wise planning. You should also consider a possibility of selective lock down, without compromising health and people’s livelihood,” Pawar tweeted after the video conference meeting with the PM.
To deliberate on the next move and hear suggestions, PM Modi interacted with floor leaders of parties with more than five MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
At a media briefing after the meeting, Congress leader in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that almost 80 per cent of those at the meeting were in the favour of extending the lockdown. “We also stressed on that but at the same time we left it to the PM to take a call on this issue,” he added.
Rajeev Ranjan Singh, Janata Dal (United) leader in Lok Sabha, told ThePrint that Modi said globally a lockdown has given good results and if it is not enforced strictly, the numbers (of cases) will only multiply. “The PM said that having a lockdown is the only way,” Singh said.
Also read: ‘Test more, prepare post-lockdown plan’ — over 800 scientists appeal to Modi govt
Impact of lockdown
In the meeting, several leaders cited the plight of daily wagers and demanded the Centre come up with more relief packages. Leaders also highlighted the constraints on funds many states have been facing and the acute shortage of protective medical gear such as gloves and masks, asking that the government ensure more supply of these.
“I told the PM that the Centre needs to do more to address the suffering of the migrant labourers. Whatever the government has done is not enough,” JD(U)’s Singh said.
Pawar said he raised the issue of the Tablighi Jamaat and how certain sections of media were playing on the religious angle.
“The Nizamuddin incident raised concerns about the spread of the disease … It is not right to blame or criticise any community … Media & social media should play a more proactive role … avoid actions that can lead to spreading hatred based on ethnicity, feelings of discrimination between communities,” he tweeted.
Sharad Pawar✔@PawarSpeaks
Most people have acknowledged the seriousness of Covid-19. The Nizamuddin incident in Delhi raised concerns about the spread of the disease. Now we need to focus on how to prevent the spread of the disease. It is not appropriate to blame or criticize any community.#COVID_19
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Azad said the Congress was demanding that some chief ministers should be added to the various task forces of cabinet ministers that have been constituted to dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak
Funds crunch
To address the issue, Singh said part of the suspended funds from Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) should be given to states.
“I suggested that the Centre should suspend MPLADS for the remaining term of the government and use the resources for containing the pandemic. But a percentage of the funds should be given to all state governments as they are facing huge resource constraints,” he said.
Trinamool Congress’ Sudip Bandyopadhyay demanded the Centre immediately release Bengal’s share of GST until March 2020. He also told the prime minister to revoke the decision to suspend MPLADS for two years.
“He told the PM to not stop the allocation of MPLAD. MPs are ready to give their full salary but MPLADS is needed to do a lot of work for people in constituencies,” Trinamool Congress sources said.
Bandyopadhyay also sought to know how much hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug believed to inhibit the coronavirus, India has at present. “Bandyopadhyay told the PM that he has heard US President Donald Trump asked India to supply the drug and wanted to know how much quantity India has at present and how much can be given to other countries,” a Trinamool Congress source said.
AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP A. Navaneethakrishnan flagged the issue of disruption in the supply chain of essential commodities. “We in the south get a lot of groceries from north India. But we are not getting supplies. I told the PM that the Centre should ensure that vehicles are allowed to move freely,” he told ThePrint.
The AIADMK leader also demanded more funds and raised the issue of shortage of health equipment like masks and gloves in the state. “Tamil Nadu is the second worst-affected state in India. We need more funds to ramp up our medical infrastructure,” he said.
The print
