New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired Monday a fresh round of consultation with chief ministers. Discussions will take place on ways to strengthen the COVID-19 containment strategy. Steps needed to boost economic activities in a calibrated manner will be talked about. The meeting is significant as the 54-day nationwide lockdown nears an end. The lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus ends May 17.
Problems migrant workers may create
Large-scale movement of migrant workers from urban to rural India will be discussed. The problems their return to home states may cause will also be in focus. This is the fifth virtual interaction between the prime minister and chief ministers since the outbreak of the deadly virus in India.
All chief ministers will get opportunity to speak
It will be ensured that all participating chief ministers get an opportunity to air their views during the interaction. Earlier some of chief ministers had complained that they were not allowed to put forth their views. They made this allegation after the last interaction April 27.
Sunday at a meeting with Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, state chief secretaries aired their views. They said ‘while protection is required from COVID-19, economic activities also need to be stepped up in a calibrated manner’.
Restarting of industry
With thousands of migrant workers returning to their home states, the restarting of industrial activities will prove to be a challenge. Though several relaxations have been made in labour laws to increase factory output industries will face this challenge.
Containment strategy
The meeting is also likely to discuss efforts to convert ‘red’ zones with high COVID-19 case load into ‘orange’ or ‘green’ zones.
The nationwide lockdown has been in force since March 25 to contain the spread of coronavirus. The disease has killed more than 2,200 people in India, and afflicted more than 67,000.
PTI