Telangana chief minister may pitch for longer lockdown in video meet with PM Modi

Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday appealed to people to cooperate with the government for continuation of the lockdown in the state.

At a review meeting he held with his staff, the chief minister reviewed the implementation of the lockdown in the state, the measures taken in containment zones and the relief efforts for the poor and migrant workers.

The review helped him take stock of the situation ahead of the video conference chief ministers of all states are scheduled to have with prime minister Narendra Modi. The videocon with the PM is set for 10 am Monday.

Telangana's lockdown is due to end on May 7. In opting for a longer lockdown previously, the chief minister adopted a cautious outlook on the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Caution may continue be the Telangana government's watchword because the infection numbers are not as bad as in some states up north, but at the same time there's no sign that the worst is over.

In the latest bulletin issued by the state's Health Department, the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Telangana rose to 1,001 on Sunday. There were 11 new cases, all from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area. No deaths were reported, which figure remains at 25.

The number of new cases have been showing an ever-so-slight declining trend in the past four days.

Nevertheless, the Chandrasekhar Rao administration is likely not to relent on the severity of its handling of the red zones in the state.

Monday's videocon with the prime minister will be the third such since the coronavirus outbreak. As with the two previous conferences, the chief ministers likely to press the Centre for more money and more equipment.

Telangana particularly is likely to demand a financial package from the Centre and an amendment in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act. It is expected to review the cap on the fiscal deficit, which is likely to bee raised.

At his review meeting, Chandrashekar Rao felt the number of deaths due to Covid-19 in Telangana have been kept lower than in many other states by strict implementation of the lockdown.

“If people extend their support for the lockdown for some more days and follow the guidelines of the government on containment, the situation would further improve,” he said.