COVID-19 cases have steadily decreased in Tamil Nadu over the past few weeks owing to the State government’s timely actions, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Friday.
“The number of cases has come down to less than 2,500 a day, with various departments working together successfully to control the pandemic,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
Tourism in the Nilgiris
He was here to review the measures to tackle the pandemic. Asked about the loss of livelihood of Nilgiris residents dependent on tourism, Mr. Palaniswami said certain restrictions were necessary to contain the pandemic and prevent a major outbreak.
On the demand to extend the 7.5% reservation for NEET-qualified government school students in medical admissions, the Chief Minister made it clear that the quota was meant only for government school students, and it would not be extended to the students of private or government-aided schools.
The government was taking steps to fill the vacancies in the Forest Department to ease the problematic human-animal interactions, he said.
Asked about the increasing number of human-animal interactions in the district, especially in Gudalur, where activists say there is a shortfall in the sanctioned staff strength, Mr. Palaniswami said the government was filling vacancies “step by step”.
Answering a question about anti-poaching watchers in Gudalur, who are employed as temporary workers and who have long demanded that their services be made permanent, the Chief Minister reaffirmed that the government was taking steps to fill all the vacancies.
Six people have lost their lives owing to the problematic human-animal interactions in the district so far this year.
On the protests staged by the BJP demanding permission for the party’s ‘Vetrivel Yatra’, the Chief Minister said the “law would take its own course”.