Many hail lockdown extension in Bihar, others worried about small business owners

PATNA: The state government’s decision to extend the Covid-induced lockdown till June 1 was hailed by many on Monday.
Appreciating the government, former president of the Bihar chapter of the Indian Medical Association, Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, said, “The government is going on the right track.” He, however, pointed out, “Had the lockdown been extended by a fortnight, it would have been better. But that decision can be taken after reviewing the situation later.”

Abhay Kumar, general secretary of the Patna University Teachers’ Association, welcomed the decision, saying, “It will help decline the number of positive cases in the state by restricting people’s movement.”
He also urged the government to “take proper steps for getting the maximum number of people vaccinated”.
Shiv Jatan Thakur, convener of the Bihar State Intellectuals’ Forum, also hailed the decision and said, “Proper arrangements for the vaccination drive should be made during the extended lockdown. Testing facilities should also be ramped up to assess the real surge or decline in the number of Covid cases.”
State president of Laghu Udyog Bharti, Rabindra Prasad Singh, pointed out that lockdown extension was essential to “save the lives of people”, but “the interests of small entrepreneurs and industrialists should also be taken into consideration”. “The authorities should have initiated necessary steps for uninterrupted supply of raw materials to all industries,” he added.
Vice-president of the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dinesh Paswan, also drew the attention of the government towards the hardships faced by the owners of small-scale industries due to non-production. He said, “The government should take steps for saving the lives of such people otherwise they will starve to death.”