As the stage is being set for commencement of train services from Tuesday, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has asked the Centre not to restore trains as it can lead to problems.
All the major cities including New Delhi and Hyderabad have been affected by COVID pandemic reporting significant number of positive cases. Allowing train travel at this juncture would enable mass transport and it would be difficult for governments to keep tabs on the people moving in and out of the respective States.
There would be difficulties in tracing people with the virus as it would not be possible to screen all those boarding trains. “The governments will face problems in quarantining all those arriving at their respective States,” he said.
KCR made these remarks during the video conference Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with State CMs on Monday to evolve a way forward as the deadline for lockdown 3.0 is ending on May 17. Mr. Rao was particular that there was no scope for immediate relief from the pandemic and hence, steps should be taken accordingly to protect people from the virus.
He said efforts were on to make a vaccine for coronavirus and companies based out of Hyderabad were hopeful of launching it by July/August. People should be educated in the meanwhile to take necessary precautions to prevent the virus spread. “Efforts should be made to sensitise people about the virus and confidence should be instilled among them that there is no cause of concern if necessary precautions were taken,” he said.
KCR reiterated the demand that the Centre reschedule loans availed by States on the lines of banks that rescheduled crop loans. This was necessary as the finances of the States were severely affected by the pandemic and no state was in a position to repay the loans. The Centre should also enhance the borrowing limit under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management norms so that the States could meet their commitments.
He stressed the need for strict enforcement of lockdown in containment zones without giving scope for negligence. The States were working in utmost coordination with the Centre in checking the spread of the virus by taking appropriate decisions based on the emerging situation.
“ The Telangana government took all necessary steps to effectively check the spread of the virus.There was no dearth of equipment, medicines, PPE kits and beds for quarantining the affected people and the government was geared up to meet any eventuality, the CM said.
He, however, wanted the Centre to speedily declare green and orange zones after the conditions stipulated were fulfilled. He expressed concern over delay in announcing green and orange zones and said this was in turn delaying the commencement of economic and other activities in these areas.