New Delhi (NVI): In his virtual interaction with Chief Ministers of all States today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a balanced strategy needs to be devised and implemented regarding the road ahead and challenges encountered on the coronavirus front.
He said the biggest challenge will be to ensure COVID-19 doesn’t spread to villages after relaxations. “Wherever we have not followed social distancing, our problems have increased,” he said during his fifth video conference meeting with Chief Ministers, six days ahead of the end of lockdown.
“We now have reasonably clear indication as to the geographical spread of the pandemic in India, including the worst affected areas. Moreover, over the past few weeks, officials have understood operating procedures in a time such as this, right up to the district level,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the country is now facing a twofold challenge – to reduce the transmission rate of the disease, and to increase public activity gradually while adhering to all the guidelines. “We will have to work towards achieving both these objectives”, PM said.
“We will be able to determine the direction of our country on the basis of suggestions you provide today,” the PM Modi told CMs.
He further said that economic activities have begun to pick up in several parts of the country and this process will gather pace in the coming days. He said that the fight against Covid-19 has to be more focussed now.
The Prime Minister said the suggestions made by the States for a roadmap on economy have been given due consideration.
During the meeting, the Chief Ministers appreciated PM’s leadership in the country’s fight against COVID-19 and also highlighted the need to strengthen the medical and health infrastructure in the country.
CMs from several states pointed out that with the return of migrants, there is a need to concentrate on strict implementation of the social distancing guidelines, usage of masks and sanitization in order to curb the spread through fresh infection, especially in rural areas.
The compulsory quarantining of the stranded Indians returning from abroad was also highlighted during the meeting. The Chief Ministers in their suggestions on economy have sought support to MSMEs, Infrastructure projects like Power, easing of interest rates on loans and assured market access to the agricultural produce, PMO said in a statement.
Prime Minister Modi also thanked the Chief Minister’s for their proactive role in the country’s fight against the COVID-19.
He said that the World has fundamentally changed post COVID-19. “Now the World will be Pre-Corona, Post-Corona just like the case of the World Wars. And this would entail significant changes in how we function,” he said.
He said the new way of life would be on the principle of “Jan Se lekar Jag Tak” (from an individual to the whole of humanity”.
“Even as we look at the gradual withdrawal of the lockdown, we should constantly remember that till we do not find a vaccine or a solution, the biggest weapon with us to the fight the virus is social distancing”, he said.
PM reaffirmed the importance of ‘Do Gaz Ki doori’ (distance of two steps) and added that suggestion of night curfew raised by many CMs would surely reaffirm the feeling of caution among people.
He requested all the Chief Ministers for specific feedback on lockdown. “I request you all to share with me by 15th May, a broad strategy on how you each one of you would want to deal with the lockdown regime in your particular states. I want states to make a blue print on how to deal with various nuances during and after the gradual easing of the lockdown”, he said.
“With the onset of Monsoon, there will be proliferation of many non-COVID19 diseases, for which we must prepare and strengthen our medical and health systems,” he told the CMs.
He asked the policy makers to also keep in mind how to embrace new models of teaching and learning in the education sector.
Referring to Tourism, the Prime Minister said he saw potential for domestic tourism but added that there is a need to think of the contours of the same.
“I am of the firm view that the measures needed in the first phase of lockdown were not needed during the 2nd phase and similarly the measures needed in the 3rd Phase are not needed in the fourth,” he added.
Referring to the resumption of train Services, the Prime Minister said, this is needed to rev up the economic activity, but said that all the routes will not be resumed. Prime Minister said only a limited number of trains would ply.
Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were also present in the meeting.
Unlike previous meetings where only select Chief Ministers attended the meeting, this time all CMs were given an opportunity to share their views on the current situation.
The nationwide lockdown is slated to end on May 17 and the government is looking forward to easing restrictions in a phased manner.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry today said that there are 67,152 confirmed Covid-19 cases so far with 4,213 new cases since yesterday. 44,029 cases are under active medical supervision and 20,917 people have been cured so far, with 1,559 recoveries in the last 24 hours. India’s total recovery rate now stands at 31.15 per cent.
