SME Times News Bureau | 16 Jun, 2020
In an interaction with Chief Ministers via video
conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that with the
efforts of the past few week, green shoots in the economy are visible.
Modi pointed out rise in power consumption which
was earlier falling, fertilizer sale in May this year seeing a significant
increase, a healthy increase in Kharif sowing in comparison to last year,
production of two wheelers increasing, digital payment in retail reaching pre
lockdown level, increase in toll collection in May and bouncing back of
exports. These signals are encouraging us to forge ahead.
The video conferencing was held to discuss the situation
emerging post Unlock 1.0 and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was the sixth such interaction of the Prime
Minister with the Chief Ministers, the earlier ones had been held on 20th
March, 2nd April, 11th April, 27th April, and 11th May.
The Prime
Minister observed that timely decisions taken to combat the pandemic have been
effective in containing its spread in the country.
When we look back, people will remember that we
have presented an example for cooperative federalism to the world, he said.
We have tried to save each and every life, the
Prime Minister said.
He underlined that all modes of transport are now
open, lakhs of migrant labourers have travelled back to their villages,
thousands of Indians have returned from abroad, and even though India has a
huge population, coronavirus has not assumed as life threatening a form as in
the rest of the world.
He said that health experts worldover are
praising the discipline shown by Indians, adding that the recovery rate in the
country is now over 50%. He also noted that India is amongst the nations with
the least deaths due to coronavirus.
The Prime Minister mentioned that a big lesson is
that if we remain disciplined and follow all rules, coronavirus will cause
least damage. He emphasized on the importance of usage of mask/ face cover,
without which no one should venture out.
This is not just important for the person
concerned but also for his family and community. He also talked about following
the mantra of ‘do gaz doori’, washing hands with soap and using sanitizer. He
forewarned that any laxity in discipline will weaken our fight against the
virus.
The interaction was the first part of the two day
interaction, and witnessed participation of States and UTs including Punjab,
Assam, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh,
Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, Ladakh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu,
Sikkim and Lakshadweep.
The Chief Ministers thanked the Prime Minister
for his leadership during such a challenging time and uniting the country to
fight for the collective fight against the virus. They provided feedback about
existing health infrastructure in their states and efforts for augmentation to
tackle the impact of the virus.
They mentioned about the awareness campaigns
being run by them, help being provided to workers who have returned home, usage
of Aarogya Setu app, and kickstarting of economic activities in the states.
The Prime Minister thanked the
Chief Ministers for their views. He underscored the importance of being
focussed on both life and livelihood.
He said that on the one hand, health
infrastructure will need to be boosted with emphasis on testing and tracing,
economic activity will also need to be increased. The decisions need to be
taken keeping in view both current needs and future requirements.
He asked the leaders to continuously keep driving
in the fact that danger of the virus is not over yet, and the need to remain
vigilant while opening up the economy.
Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that while we
have so far fought a successful battle against the pandemic, the road ahead is
long and suggestions given by the Prime Minister regarding use of mask/face
cover, maintaining do gaz doori etc should be followed by all.
The Prime Minister had held a detailed
meeting with senior ministers and officials on 13th June to review India’s
response to Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting had reviewed the national level
status and preparation in the context of the pandemic.
It was observed that out of the total cases
two-thirds are in 5 states with an overwhelming proportion of cases in big
cities.
In view of the challenges being faced,
particularly by the large cities, it was discussed to augment testing as well
as the number of beds and services to effectively handle the peak surge of
daily cases.
Modi had taken cognizance of the recommendations
of the Empowered Group on city- and district-wise requirements of hospital
beds/isolation beds which will be required and instructed Health Ministry
officials to undertake emergency planning in consultation with the States/UTs.
He had also advised the Ministry to ensure
suitable preparations in view of the start of the Monsoon season.
