New Delhi: In a four-hour long video conference on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 13 chief ministers agreed that the 21-day lockdown which was supposed to end on April 14 should be extended by two weeks.
While a formal announcement is yet to be made by Modi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal spilt the information about a possible extension of the lockdown in a tweet.
PM has taken correct decision to extend lockdown. Today, India’s position is better than many developed countries because we started lockdown early. If it is stopped now, all gains would be lost. To consolidate, it is imp to extend it
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 11, 2020
Odisha and Punjab have already extended the lockdown until April 30. Kejriwal, however, said on Saturday that the decision to extend it should be taken at a national level.
“If the states decide the length of the lockdown on their own, then the fight against the coronavirus won’t be effective,” said the Delhi chief minister. The national capital is currently battling the third-highest number of COVID-19 infections in the country, after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
“If the lockdown is eased, all kinds of transport, either rail or road, should not be allowed,” Kejriwal said.
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik had extended the lockdown on Thursday. “The pandemic is the biggest threat that the human race has faced in more than a century. Life will not be the same ever,” he had said while extending the lockdown.
Also Read: Is a Longer Lockdown a Good Idea? Three Public Health Experts Answer
At least 10 of the 13 chief ministers who attended the video conference reportedly favoured a longer containment period to check the spread of the coronavirus in India. The chief ministers of Maharashtra, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Delhi were among those who strongly advocated an extension of lockdown.
PM told us that we must not compromise on lockdown and we are receiving suggestions for extending it for next 15 days. PM said in next 1-2 days Govt of India will announce guidelines for next 15 days: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on video conference of PM with CMs pic.twitter.com/tIrNqpN4p3
— ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2020
Bihar and Chhattisgarh chief ministers, however, demanded some relaxation. The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, in a letter to the Centre, agreed to the idea of extending the lockdown but wanted some exceptions like the continuation of flood relief work and rural constructions in view of the damaged infrastructure owing to last year’s floods.
Even Bhupesh Baghel, the Chhattisgarh chief minister, asked for some economic activities to continue within its borders if the lockdown is extended. Although he agreed that inter-state road, air and rail traffic should not be opened anytime soon, he said that the state government should be permitted to decide whether economic activities within their borders should be relaxed or not.
“Given the current situation, we will definitely face an economic crisis,” he cautioned the Union government in a statement.
Baghel also urged the prime minister to increase the number of personal protective equipment (PPE) available and called for ramping up testing facilities to curb the spread of the disease. He suggested that Central University examinations be postponed or held online.
PM Narendra Modi chairs a meeting with chief ministers on COVID-19 lockdown via video conference, April 11, 2020.
He sought an economic package for the MSME sector hit hard by the nationwide lockdown. Due to the long lockdown, the existence of this important sector, which provides the maximum employment to people, has been endangered, the chief minister said at the meeting.
Baghel underscored that Chhattisgarh was the first state in the country to have implemented a complete lockdown and the situation in the state was better due to that initiative.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who has already extended the lockdown, also suggested a slew of health and relief measures for the people in the state’s COVID-19 battle. In addition, the chief minister also asked for special concessions for the industrial and agricultural sectors on an urgent basis.
Shift in Strategy?
Sources told NDTV that it is possible that the Union government may adopt a different lockdown strategy if it is extended in view of the economic losses the country has been facing. While interstate travel may still be banned, and educational institutions are expected to be shut until the end of June, some economic activities may be allowed. Currently, only businesses related to essential services have been permitted to operate.
While until now, Modi had prioritised saving lives over economic losses as a result of the lockdown, he reportedly indicated that the lockdown strategy may be slightly altered. “Jaan hai toh jahaan hai (the world exists if life exists),” he had declared while announcing the lockdown a fortnight ago. However, on Saturday, he emphasised on the slogan, “Jaan bhi jahaan bhi (both life and economy are important)”.
Modi, who wore a cotton cloth mask in the meeting, said that he is open to all suggestions by chief ministers. “I am available 24×7. Any chief minister can speak to me and give suggestions (on COVID-19) anytime. We should stand together shoulder-to-shoulder,” he said. Saturday’s meeting was the third such meeting between the prime minister and chief ministers with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to sources, the Union government is also mulling over enforcing only a partial lockdown after April 14. Districts could be categorised as red, green, and yellow zones depending upon the severity of the transmission in the area.
The Union health ministry also gave a presentation during the video conference, followed by a one-on-one conversation between Modi and different chief ministers.
The initial visuals of the meeting, which began at 11 am, showed Modi interacting with chief ministers Amarinder Singh (Punjab), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), Manohar Lal (Haryana), K. Chandrashekhar Rao (Telangana), Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh), B.S. Yediyurappa (Karnataka) and Nitish Kumar (Bihar).