"Learn to live with coronavirus", says Telangana minister;
Hyderabad, May 3 () Stressing that people will haveto "learn to live with corornavirus" until a vaccine or drugis invented, Telangana Minister for IT and Industries KT RamaRao has said the Centre needs to extend help to states forinfra creation to access newer avenues as many companiesacross the globe are onlookout for new geographies as part ofde-risking strategy post COVID-19 situation.
The suave leader said theTelanganagovernmentsoughtabout Rs 4,000 crore from the centre for providinginfrastructure at the upcoming "Pharma City" near here to makeit a world class facility following the increased importanceof drug and vaccine manufacturing facilities due to COVID-19pandemic.
"There are two important things to understand. Firstis that we have to come to realisation and conclusion thattill such time that a vaccine or drug is discovered, tried andtested and is proved, we have to learn to live with thisvirus."
"Let us come to that understanding first that nomatter how much we would like to get rid of this virus, thefact is that there is no vaccine," the southern satrap told PT I in an interview.
Maintaining that there should not be a "toss betweenlives and livelihood," KTR, son of Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao, said the whole world is now appreciatingIndia for its strategies to contain the coronavirus spread andthat made attractive new investments into the country as manybig corporates are looking to expand newer geographies as partof their derisking policy.
He said India compared to other countries, is doingwell in containing the virus spread because of the lockdownand with the concerted efforts both by the Centre and states,the curve has been flattened.
"There are silver linings also in this cloud. I thinkIndia has a great opportunity to grab a big manufacturingpiece from China. Also India was appreciated for the way thecoronavirus spread was handled. All of these will put us in agood light," he opined.
KTR said he already wrote a letter to Union Ministerfor Railways and Commerce Piyush Goyal requesting the Centreto invest more in industrial corridors with self-containedtownship which would be insulated in case of any pandemics.
"Hyderabad Pharma City project can be a project forinternational interests. So is Kakatiya Mega Textile Park atWarangal. We need, just for Pharma City, 900 megawatt ofpower. We need about Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 crore on just power.I need another 2000 crore for water provision," the ministersaid.
He said in Telangana the rate of recovery from thevirus is much higher than the rate of infection giving an edgeto move towards restoring certain aspects of functioning as asociety to a large extent.
Post-COVID-19, according to him the business will notbe as usual with new styles of functioning and work culturesin place.
Highlighting that personal hygiene of employees wouldbe the paramount objective for companies, Rama Rao said de-densification of workforce would become the order of the day.
"The biggest challenge for the government or privatesector is to inspire the confidence among the employees towork. They need to feel safe (at workplaces). We have to givethem the confidence," he said. GDK SS