Let states decide on COVID-19 zoning: Baghel to PM

Chhattisgarh Chief MinisterBhupesh Baghel on Monday said the Centre should allow state governments to decide on red, green, orange zones based on severity of the coronavirus situation in areas under their jurisdiction, officials said here.He made the request during Prime Minister Narendra Modis video conference meeting with chief ministers to discuss ways to strengthen the COVID-19 containment strategy as the third phase of lockdown comes to end on May 17, and sought a Rs 30,000-crore assistance for Chhattisgarh.At present, the Centre decides on demarcation of areas as red, green, orange zones on the basis of coronavirus cases.Baghel said state governments should be empowered to decide on which economic activities should be taken up amid the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, an official statement said."State governments should be empowered to decide on the operation of economic activities. The state should also be given responsibility to decide on classifying its areas into the three zones based on the spread of coronavirus, the statement quoted CM as saying during the virtual interaction.Citing the financial crisis triggered by the lockdown, Baghel gave suggestions related to functioning of economic activities in states and providing employment to labourers and villagers, the statement said.Economic activities have been largely affected in states due to the pandemic and lockdown that has resulted in loss of revenue. The situation has caused maximum trouble to economically weaker sections of the society," Baghel said.Baghel requested the PM to allocate Rs 30,000 crore to the Congress-ruled state.He also urged that the credit limit for his state this year should be relaxed to 6 per cent and its fiscal deficit should be kept at 5 per cent of the GSDP, the release said.A big amount has been donated by the industrial units operating in the state to the Prime Minister CARES Fund to support the fight against coronavirus."In order to provide relief to the needy people of the state, (part of) this donated amount should be transferred to the Chhattisgarh, Baghel said.Like health workers, the Chief Minister requested the PM to include employees and officials of the police department, municipal corporations, district administration and other departments under the PM Garib Kalyan Package.He also urged to increase 100 days of employment fixed under MGNREGA to 200 days.He reiterated his demand to sanction additional levy worth Rs 4,140 crore fetched by the Centre on coal drawn from mines of the state to the Chhattisgarh government.Briefing about measures taken in the state for control of COVID-19, the chief minister said,at present there are only 6 active cases in the state.So far, the state has reported 59 COVID-19 cases, of which 53 patients have been dischargedfollowing their recovery, he said, adding the recovery rate in Chhattisgarh is more than 90 percent.Baghel also raised the issue of migrant labourers and said the state government had sought a total of 28 trains to bring back workers of the state stranded in other parts of the country due the lockdown but so far only 15 trains have been approved.The state government is bearing the entire train travel cost of workers, students, sick persons of Chhattisgarh stranded elsewhere, Baghel said.

Let states decide on COVID-19 zoning: Baghel to PM

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