Meghalaya CM proposes continuing Covid lockdown beyond May 3 at PM Modi-CMs' meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is interacting with Chief Ministers on Monday, via conferencing, on the prevailing Coronavirus situation in the country. In the meeting, the Meghalaya government mooted to continue with the lockdown post-May 3 with relaxation on activities in Green Zones or Non-COVID affected districts in the state, CM Conrad Sangma informed through Twitter. 

'We have mooted to continue with the lockdown'

Also, attending the meeting was Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu who took to Twitter and said, "Thanks to decisive leadership of PM Modi Ji in the fight against Coronavirus, the doubling rate has slowed down to 9.1 days."

List of CMs attending the videoconference with PM Modi

Among those present at the meeting are, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Other attendees include Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Tamil Nadu CM E K Palaniswami, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb, among others. Lieutenant Governors of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh GC Murmu and R K Mathur respectively are also at the meeting.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to skip the meeting. "In today's meeting, there was no time allotted for the Kerala CM to speak. Chief Secretary Tom Jose, will be attending the meeting," said an official. According to ANI sources, Kerala has given its suggestions in writing.

The last meeting of the CMs with PM Modi lasted four hours as all the Chief Ministers put forth their point of view on the situation. According to Republic sources, PM Modi may address the nation in the next 4-5 days. Sources added that a clear exit plan and how it should be implemented in a phased manner will also be discussed.

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At least eight states have written to the PMO that they would want certain specific relaxations keeping in mind the economic ramification of the economic lockdown, sources said. On March 24, the Prime Minister had announced a 21-day lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended till May 3.

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(With agency inputs)