Chennai, Apr 11 () Supporting continuing curbs beyondApril 14 for two more weeks, Chief Minister K Palaniswami onSaturday conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that trainand flight services should not be resumed and stressed theimportance of smooth supply of essential commodities.
In a meet via a video link with Modi to discuss theCOVID-19 situation, Palaniswami sought two lakh test kits fromthe Centre, additional funding to aid unorganised sectorworkers and farm labourers, besides Rs 2,000 to each of theirfamilies if the lockdown is to be extended by the Centre.
He wanted the Centre to announce a special package foragriculture and horticulture promotion.
Briefing reporters about the video conference and asubsequent Cabinet meeting, Chief Secretary K Shanmugam saidseveral Chief Ministers opined that under the presentcircumstances the lockdown should be extended and if not, allefforts taken so far to check COVID-19 will fail.
"Our Chief Minister too has favoured extension of lockdown in Tamil Nadu by at least two weeks based on expertsrecommendation," he said.
A 19-member expert panel had on Friday favoured extendingcurbs for 14 more days to Chief Minister Palaniswami.
"The Cabinet meeting decided to implement the decision ofPrime Minister Narendra Modi on extending the lockdown at thenational level," Shanmugam said.
Palaniswami has briefed the Cabinet on the views ofseveral CMs on prolonging curbs and the recommendation of theState's expert panel to extend restrictions by 14 more days. "Tamil Nadu government will take a decision on extendinglockdown based on the announcement of the PM on the matter,"he said. Shanmugam said the Prime Minister advised states to takesteps to popularise the use of 'Aarogya setu' mobile app amongpeople and take initiatives in areas like telemedicine andfollow containment and quarantine strategies according tonumber of positive cases in a given affected area.
While the Chief Secretary in his press conferenceinitially said the PM was scheduled to address the nationtonight (on COVID-19), he subsequently clarified that it hasnot been confirmed. The Cabinet meet deliberated on the action being taken toprevent the spread of coronavirus right from the beginning. It lauded doctors, nurses, paramedics and policepersonnel for their dedication in the fight against thecontagion and thanked them.
Similarly, the government appreciated and thanked thepeople too for their cooperation in following the lockdown. Earlier, an official release quoted Palaniswami assaying, "Train and flight services should not be resumed. Iappeal to the Prime Minister and other Chief Ministers not toallow inter State passengers movement."
Smooth supply of essential commodities like dhal andspices from other states through railways and inter-Statemovement of these goods through lorries should be ensured, theChief Minister said.
"If the lockdown is extended,I request additional fundingas well as allotment of essential commodities to support theunorganised sector workers and agricultural labourers. Theymay be provided 2,000 rupees per family." Palaniswami also told Modi that "testing of the contacts hasto be done immediately for which I require rapid test kits.Ihave written to the Union Health Minister to provide two lakhtest kits to Tamil Nadu." Positive cases climbed in Tamil Nadu to 969 on Saturday.
Though TN has faced natural disasters continuously likethe three cyclones between 2016 and 2018, besides a severedrought, it still got lesser allocation under the StateDisaster Relief Fund, he said and requested an adhoc Rs 1,000crore grant from the National Disaster Relief Fund to procuremedical and protective material.
Thanking the Centre for Rs 510 crore grant under SDRF, hesaid the 15th Finance Commission methodology has resulted inTamil Nadu getting only 64.65 per cent increase under theSDRF, while it is 120.33 per cent for other states. The Chief Mininster batted for Rs 9,000 crore grant tolaunch a comprehensive plan to combat COVID-19 and itsaftermath on the state's economy, Rs 3,000 crore towardsbuying ventilators, protective gears and wanted the Centre tosupply polymerase chain reaction and rapid test kits.
Also, he reiterated a number of measures like nod foradditional borrowing of 33 per cent above the permitted levelfor fiscal year 2019-20 may be allowed for 2020-21 forcombating the pandemic. Presently, the State has 12 government facilities andseven private labs for COVID-19 testing and this needed to beincreased, he pointed out. VGNROH ROH