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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold meeting with States’ Chief Ministers on Monday. This will be 5th meeting in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
“PM @narendramodi to hold the 5th meeting via video-conference with state Chief Ministers tomorrow at 3 PM,” the Prime Minister Office said in a tweet. This meeting has been called at a time when India is entering into the final week of lockdown. This is the third phase of nationwide lockdown which is scheduled to end on May 17.
This meeting is expected to discuss post-May 17 scenarios, especially when the number of Covid-19 positive cases has touched 63000. Active cases are now growing at 5.2 per cent and doubling every 13 days. However, one crucial positive development is that the average rate of recovery has reached 30 per cent. Still, the concern is that rate of new cases rising and that too at a worrying rate in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and Tamil Nadu. Some states such as Haryana is witnessing the second wave. Considering all these, the focus of discussion likely to be making a balance between more opening up of the economy and arrest the pace of growth in affected cases.
Though this time, more and more States are talking about more opening, a narrative is being set up that people will have to live with corona. Still, Telangana has announced extending the lockdown in its State till May 29. The Prime Minister is expected to take views from all concerned before finalising further roadmap.
Cabinet Secretary’s Meeting
Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba hold a meeting with Chief Secretaries and Health Secretaries of all States and Union territories to review their status of COVID-19 Management through video conference on Sunday.
At the outset, Gauba noted that more than 350 Shramik special trains had been run by railways carrying 3.5 lakh migrant workers. He requested State governments to cooperate with railways in running of more Shramik special trains. He called for the cooperation of States on the return of Indians from abroad under Vande Bharat Mission.
Cabinet Secretary emphasised that movements of doctors, nurses and paramedics should be totally unhindered and all steps are taken to facilitate and protect Corona Warriors. The State Chief Secretaries informed about the situation in their States and also said that while protection is required from Covid, the economic activities also need to be stepped up in a calibrated manner.
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