The chief ministers of all the states on Monday held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Monday via video conferencing and discussed the lockdown exit strategies and raised the concerns related to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh pitched for the extension of the coronavirus lockdown, but with a carefully crafted exit strategy providing fiscal support to states.
The Punjab CM said in view of ‘escalating’ virus cases, continuation of the lockdown was needed. He said states should be given greater flexibility in micro-planning. The decision on designating red, orange/yellow and green zones should be left to the states, which are more cognizant of the ground realities, he said.
The exit strategy should consider and focus on fiscal and economic empowerment of the states, which are responsible for real action directly impinging upon the livelihood and social health of the common man, said the chief minister.
The prime minister conveyed to the chief ministers that a "balanced strategy will have to be adopted for the road ahead, and what path and the direction the country" should adopt could be determined on the basis of the suggestions by the states.
Barring containment zones, economic activities should be allowed to resume in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said during a video conference.
"During the interaction, the chief minister said economic activities should be allowed to resume in Delhi, except in COVID-19 containment zones," a source told PTI.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked for special economic package from the Centre.
She also appealed to the Prime Minister and all other political parties not to engage in any sort of politics during coronavirus crisis. She is also said to have appealed to everyone to come forward and work together in fighting the crisis.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao urged Prime Minister Modi not to resume the passenger train services, which were stopped as part of preventive measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Virtually calling for an end to the ongoing lockdown as it has vastly affected the livelihoods of people, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy appealed to the Centre to take a relook into the current containment strategy and shift towards preparing people to "live with the virus".
"This has resulted in people not coming forward to report symptoms, which defeats the entire purpose of testing and identifying infected people," Chief Minister Jagan said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami requested the Prime Minister not to resume regular air services and train services to Chennai till May 31.
He also sought a credit restructuring package as well as refinancing support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the state.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show "specific and concrete direction" on the ongoing lockdown.
A CMO official quoted Thackeray saying this during Modi's virtual interaction with chief ministers on Monday.
"Show us specific and concrete direction on lockdown, the states will implement the same," an official statement quoted Thackeray as telling the prime minister.
(With PTI Inputs)
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