Complete exit from lock down not possible, Modi tells CMs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said at a videoconference with Chief Ministers that a lockdown would continue in some form or the other even after May 17, but that the State governments should send in their plans for ramping up economic activity in green zones in their States between May 15 and 17 for consideration by the Centre.

In a marathon meeting that lasted (with a half an hour break in between) for nearly six hours, and saw most Chief Ministers speak their mind, Mr. Modi said the imperative was to protect rural areas from the COVID-19 pandemic as these areas were largely untouched at the moment.

He lauded the State governments for their work in containing the pandemic till now, and said it was to be a united effort.He also said the movement of migrant labour to their native States should be expedited within the next 10 days. “This may lead to some problems in terms of States that employ them and even in their native States where there may be a spike in cases,” Mr. Modi is reported to have said. All States, however, should now think in terms of economic revival as well, he emphasised.

Apart from asking for an extension of the lockdown, several States like Bihar, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh expressed misgivings about restoration of train services. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reportedly said that as a former Railway Minister “he knew better than most” how it could lead to a rapid spread of the disease at this crucial juncture. The railways announced on Sunday evening that it would be running 15 trains in pairs from May 12 to select destinations in a partial opening of till now shuttered passenger services.