Lockdown: Bihar CM to hold key meet on Friday

PATNA: Chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar will hold a marathon meeting with DMs, SPs of all 38 districts, divisional commissioners, senior police officers and secretaries or principal secretaries of all departments on Friday to take feedback from them on lockdown and steps being taken to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
A minister in Nitish government said the CM had sought ministers’ views on the lockdown during the meeting of the state cabinet on Thursday. However, no minister came up with a concrete suggestion.
Another minister said a videoconference between chief secretaries and Union home secretary or cabinet secretary would be held on Friday for taking feedback from all states regarding extension of lockdown.
Nitish had suggested PM Narendra Modi in a videoconferencing with him on May 11 to extend the lockdown till the end of May, so that Bihar government could make arrangements to handle inflow of migrant workers.
As per a statement issued by the state government on Thursday, altogether 2,168 migrant workers have tested positive for Covid-19 upon their return to the state.
Sources said the state government is of the view that most migrant workers have already returned to Bihar. State information and public relations department secretary Anupam Kumar said in his daily online media briefing on Thursday that arrival of migrant workers to Bihar is in the final stages.
“The number of people at the screening centres at the integrated check posts in bordering districts like Gopalganj and Rohtas is very low now as most migrant workers returning by road have already reached. The number of Shramik special trains coming to Bihar is also reducing with each passing day,” the minister said.