PM Modi to discuss Covid-19 shutdown with Parliament floor leaders today

The meeting will take place amid intense pressure from the states to continue the nationwide 21-day lockdown in an effort to flatten the Covid-19 curve and keep number of cases at a minimum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with Parliamentary floor leaders of different parties on Wednesday morning at 11 am through video conference, to decide the future course of action as far as coronavirus outbreak in India is concerned, among other key issues. 

The primary point on the agenda will be whether to end the shutdown or extend it and if the government wishes to withdraw it, what should be the approach. The current shutdown is slated to end on April 14.

Another point of discussion will be the economic impact of the shutdown on India and how to deal with it. Money released to states, future of daily wage workers who are the worst hit due to total shutdown and scope if any possible economic package will be discussed in the meeting, according to reports.

The government is expecting some opposition to the ordinance to suspend MPLADS for two years. Modi will hear their views and reason with them, the reports added. The Cabinet headed by Prakash Javadekar on Monday announced 30% pay cut for MPs and also suspended MPLADS for the next two years to mitigate the Covid-19 crisis.
 

Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Thawar Chand Gehlot, Pralhad Joshi, Nirmala Sitharaman among others will be present on behalf of the government along with PM Modi in the video conference.

The Shiv Sena will be represented by Sanjay Raut, the Lok Janshakti Party by Chirag Paswan, the Samajwadi Party by Prof Ram Gopal Yadav, the Bahujan Samaj Party by Danish Ali and Satish Mishra and the Biju Janata Dal by Pinaki Misra, according to reports.

Total active cases in India jumped to 5,351 while total deaths stood at 160. Globally, over 1.3 million people have been affected with death toll over 82,000 mark.