Ruling out any possibility of implementing further lockdown in Bengaluru in view of the rising number of COVID-19 positive cases, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi has said that “it is difficult to implement another round of lockdown at this juncture as the government has already taken initiatives to tackle the spread of the pandemic.”

Addressing presspersons after a meeting of officers in Raichur on Tuesday, Mr. Savadi, who threw light on the preventive steps taken by the State government to tackle the pandemic, said that “people’s life should not be allowed to be affected by lockdown. Thus, it is not possible now to implement any further lockdown.”

Reacting to comments by the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy urging the government to implement lockdown again in Bengaluru, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Mr. Kumaraswamy should talk in a responsible manner.

The government has to pay several crores of rupees of salaries to its employees every month. He should have realised this before giving suggestions to the government, he added.

Mr. Savadi, who also holds the Transport portfolio, said that transportation will be provided to SSLC students to reach their examination centres. To a question, he said that the government is planning to run inter-State bus services, except to Maharashtra where there are a high number of COVID-19 positive cases.

Issuing a warning to private hospitals, he said that if any hospital was found charging high rates for treating COVID-19 patients, criminal action will be taken against it.

Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister reviewed development works being taken up by various departments and directed the officials concerned to stock adequate quantity of seeds and fertilizers to meet the demand of farmers.