Bihar CM: Bringing back students will defeat lockdown purpose

TNN | Updated: Apr 19, 2020, 08:25 IST

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

PATNA: CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday ruled out the possibility of making official arrangements to ensure the return of students and others from Kota in Rajasthan or persons similarly placed in other states, as it would make “total mockery” of the nationwide lockdown that has now been extended to May 3 to contain coronavirus.
“Now if some people say those trapped at Kota should be brought back to Bihar or should be called back, then it would amount to making total mockery of the lockdown,” the CM said. “Also, if all the states start bringing back their natives trapped outside their respective areas, then it would amount to the same,” he also said, adding: “Our commitment to lockdown is total. The serious maintenance of social distancing and obedience to the norms and guidelines regarding lockdown can be only protection from the coronavirus transmission.”
Nitish said this in the backdrop of the UP government sending 300 buses to Kota to bring back their natives trapped there. Earlier, the Gujarat government had also brought back pilgrims trapped in Himachal Pradesh.
The CM made the observations at a videoconferencing with top officials of the state, including DMs and SPs.
Nitish said the developmental activities like under Jal Jeevan Hariyali campaign and in agriculture and fishery resources departments should be resumed by engaging workers under MGNREGS, including in the renovation and rehabilitation of the ponds of the size of 1 acre and more.
He said the wheat procurement drive through PACS should be expedited. He said Rs60 crore and Rs518 crore had been sanctioned for the payment of input subsidy to farmers who had suffered Rabi crop damage in February and March, respectively.
The CM said that online teaching facility should be provided to class IX and X students from April 20 for which one-hour slot had also been fixed.