Most CMs want lockdown to continue beyond May 3: Pondy CM after meeting PM

A majority of chief ministers who interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed the lockdown to be continued beyond May 3 with little economic activity, PTI reported.

According to Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, the chief ministers were unanimous in telling the prime minister that the way the virus was spreading, there needs to be a cautious approach in lifting the lockdown.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a video conference with chief ministers to discuss the situation arising due to coronavirus and a graded exit strategy from the lockdown in the country. The chief ministers also said that the government should evolve a policy for sending home migrant workers stranded in different states.

"But, the prime minister did not give any solution to resolve the issue of migrants," he said at a press conference through video conference. The Puducherry CM said he and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar raised the issue of migrants.

PM Modi during his interaction with state CMs. (Source: CMO Maharashtra)

Narayanasamy said the CMs demanded that the government should announce a stimulus package on lines of the UPA's 2008 package for revival of the economy. He also said the prime minister lauded Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot for taking steps to contain the virus in his state. He also mentioned the work done by chief ministers of Odisha and Bihar.

Modi conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as to continue the fight against coronavirus.

In a video conference with the chief ministers, fourth such interaction since March 22 when he first spoke to them on the pandemic, Modi also highlighted the importance for states to enforce prescribed guidelines strictly in the coronavirus hotspots zones, the government said in a statement. The prime minister underlined that the lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months", it said.