Telangana CM urges PM Modi not to resume train services as COVID cases in state reach 1275

Telangana government on Monday disfavoured resumption of passenger train services at this juncture, saying it would le to movement of people and pose problems in testing m for COVID-19 and quarantining as state saw a spike in fresh cases taking tally to 1,275.

day also saw more than 280 Indian nationals stranded in USA and UAE arriving by Air India flights at international airport here as part of Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate such people from foreign countries. As many as 79 people tested positive for virus on Monday while 50 were discharged as active cases stood at 444, a COVID-19 bulletin said. Though number of cases showed a decline since early this month, it's been on rise during last few days and all 79 fresh cases were from Greater Hyderab Municipal Corporation (GHMC), hotbed of virus spre in state.

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PM-CM meet

Participating in video conference held by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi to discuss coronavirus containment and  lockdown exit plans, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao urged him t to resume passenger train services and said impact of COVID-19 has been more in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderab.

Rao asked Modi "t to revive passenger train services, which were stopped as part of preventive measures to contain spre of coronavirus in country," an official release said.

As many as 15 trains are to be operated by Railways from Tuesday on Rajdhani route from Delhi to all major cities, including Secunderab here, in country. Rao told Modi that resumption of passenger train services at this juncture would le to movement of people from one destination to ar.

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body kws who is going from where to where. It is t possible to conduct tests on everyone. It is also difficult to put all those who travelled by trains under quarantine. Hence, passengers trains should t be allowed to ply, he said. chief minister also strongly favoured state governments allowing migrant workers to return to ir native places, besides rescheduling loans of states and raising Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Manment (FRBM) limits.Observing that revenue is being earned in view of virus spre and consequent lockdown, he said state was in a position to repay loans.

Rao stressed that lockdown regulations be strictly implemented in containment zones and re be laxity. Separately, he instructed officials to plan a strategy on ro ahe with COVID-19 remaining in existence, ar release said. plan should take into account various aspects, including resumption of ecomic activity, implementation of relaxations in zones (such as green and orange) and activities which should t be allowed, it said.

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As part of Vande Bharat mission, Air India flight AI 1617 carrying 118 people from San Francisco in US via Mumbai landed at GMR-led Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here in morning. Flight AI 1920 from Abu Dhabi landed at 8.50 pm with 170 passengers, airport sources said.

To facilitate arriving passengers and aircraft crew, airport has kept international arrivals and entire stretch right from aerobridge to arrivals ramp fully sanitised and fumigated. airport also enforced social distancing among passengers right from aerobridge to across terminal, sources ded.

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