The suspense over lockdown extension will come to an end as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take a call on it after he meets chief ministers on April 11
Bengaluru: The suspense over lockdown extension will come to an end as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take a call on it after he meets chief ministers on April 11.
Earlier today (April 8) Narendra Modi met leaders from opposition parties.
Those who attended the meetign included Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad, Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, BSP leader SC Mishra, Lok Janshakti Party's Chirag Paswan, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and DMK leader TR Baalu.
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Sources indicate that the PM drove home the point that the extension of the lockdown was inevitable. It might also be recalled that several states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Maharashtra have thrown their weight behind PM to extend the lockdown.
However, it is also interesting to note that Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting with empowered group of ministers on ways to deal with the lockdown, two days ago.
Also Read: Modi to examine options of extending lockdown
Well, those states which will continue to have the lockdown will have to ensure that there is no dearth of stocks of essential things like food and medicine. The states will also have to ensure that there is no movement of people on the roads unnecessarily. The states will also see that there is no mass transportation like trains, buses and flights.
The states will also ensure there is transportation of perishable goods. Additionally, the states will set up mass canteens so that the poor can come and eat.
For those not continuing with the lockdown, the government will ask them to do it in stages. In the first week, only stand-alone shops with semi-essential items like food will be open.
In the second week, food shops and restaurants with home delivery will be open.
In the third week, community markets with semi-essential items will be open.
In the fourth week, taking into consideration how it pans out, malls will be opened. Clubs and other such things will not be opened.
In case, this plan doesn’t work out, there will be a reconsideration of the imposition of the lockdown.
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