Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy urges people to respond to PM Modi's call

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Friday appealed to people of union territory to respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for lighting a candle or lamp on April 5 to demonstrate country's collective will to fight corovirus.

senior Congress leader's came amidst veteran party leaders, including former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram hitting out at Modi for allegedly t making concrete anuncements in his video mess to people on Friday on fighting COVID19.

Modi's mess, urging people to light candle or earrn lamps on April 5 to display India's collective resolve to defeat coronavirus evoked sharp reactions from opposition Congress, which dubbed it as "just a feel-good moment curated by India's photo-op Prime Minister."

Criticising Modi, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "listened to Pradhan Showman. thing about how to ease people's pain, ir burdens, ir financial anxieties. vision of future or sharing issues he is weighing in deciding about post-lockdown. Just a feel-good moment curated by India's Photo-Op PrimeMinister!"

Chidambaram said "symbolism" is important but added a generous livelihood support pack for poor and steps to arrest ecomic slide were expected, but that people were disappointed on both counts. Narayanasamy, in a mess to mediapersons, said Prime Minister had been insisting on social distancing to stem spread of coronavirus, focussing on 'staying home."

"I have also been insisting this repeatedly so that re would be scope for infection to spread," he said. He appealed to people in Puducherry "to respond" to Modi's call made on Friday.

"I appeal to people in Union Territory also to participate in programme on April 5," he said.

Meanwhile, chief minister said government will offer a thirty percent subsidy for investments on producing material and equipment needed to treat coronavirus affected.

Currently hospitals faced difficluty in meeting exigency and treat persons with virus symptoms, he told a press conference after holding consultations with his cabinet colleagues and officers.

"Ventilators, masks, monitors and or equipments are tsufficiently available," he said. Entrepreneurs producing se will be extended a thirty percent subsidy for investments to start units and supply material by July.

Meanwhile, Lt Goverr Kiran Bedi ina video conference with President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkiah Naidy told m doctors' requirements for medical equipment needed to be met without delay. She pointed out at "appropriate meetings Chief Minister was holding in current situation."

re was "vibrant coordination" between administrative and political leadership in Puducherry w, she said. Bedi and Narayansamy have been in a turf war on various administrative and financial issues ever since she assumed charge in 2016.

Im Credits: ANI