BackTamil Nadu CM likely to call for strict enforcement of lockdown amid surge in Covid cases
The Tamil Nadu government has already imposed a two-week lockdown effective since May 10CM MK Stalin urged PM Modi to bring the Goods and Services Tax for Covid-19 vaccines and drugs to zero levels
PremiumThe Tamil Nadu government might intensify lockdown norms in the state due to an unabated surge in Covid-19 cases.
The newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin chaired a meeting at the Secretariat on May 13 where he decided to enforce lockdown restrictions strictly.
The Tamil Nadu government has already imposed a two-week lockdown effective since May 10 despite the that the state has continued to witness an exponential rise in coronavirus cases. Currently, the active Covid-19 case count of Tamil Nadu has crossed 1.83 lakh today.
In today's meeting with the CM, the party leaders decided to set up a consultative committee, comprising members of legislature parties, to advise the government on containing the virus spread.
"All parties would work in the field to guide the people to properly follow restrictions to combat the virus and also involve themselves fully in relief activities, it was decided in the meet," the state government said in an official press release.
It added that all political parties would extend their cooperation to the state government over measures taken by it to control the Covid-19 spread. It was also resolved to 'fully halt' events by political parties during the meeting.
The state has already put a curb on social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, and cultural activities in both open and closed (like in an auditorium) spaces as part of the lockdown curbs.
Separately, CM Stalin outlined the measures taken by the government to mitigate Covid-19 transmission, like setting up a centralised command centre, (war room), a panel to monitor the oxygen scenario, and grants of ₹25 lakh assistance to the kin of each of the 43 doctors who died serving the virus-infected people.
The CM also spoke about incentives for doctors, nurses and the decision to float global tenders to procure Covid-19 vaccines.
Stalin, in a separate video message posted on social media, appealed to the Tamil diaspora to come forward to donate to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF) to help the government on the Covid-19 front.
He said that the donations would be used only for activities to prevent the virus spread, create facilities like oxygen beds, and procurement of drugs and vaccines and information related to it would be made available in the public domain.
Meanwhile, Stalin also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the Goods and Services Tax for Covid-19 vaccines and drugs to zero levels.
Also, Stalin wanted the borrowing limit increased by one more per cent from the current three per cent of Gross State Domestic Product.
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