Revival Of Economy To Take Centre Stage At PM-CM Meeting Today
Monday’s would be the fifth meeting of the prime minister with the chief ministers since the coronavirus outbreak in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with chief ministers via video conferencing on Monday afternoon, with a focus on reviving economic activity stalled by the six-week-long coronavirus lockdown.
This will be his fifth such interaction with state leaders since the coronavirus outbreak.
The Prime Minister's Office said the video conference will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Monday.
According to sources in the government, the focus of the meeting will be on boosting economic activity and pushing efforts to convert 'red' zones into 'orange' or 'green' zones.
The number of coronavirus cases in India has more than doubled since the prime minister last interacted with chief ministers on April 27. Days after the meeting, the central government extended the lockdown by two more weeks till May 17 but gave several relaxations in economic activity and movement of people.
The nationwide lockdown has been in force since March 25.
Several states recently relaxed labour laws to boost industry with staggered shifts or limited staff as a fresh spike in coronavirus cases could undo the gains so far.
Monday's meeting could also discussions on further relaxations as part of a graded exit from the lockdown. All restrictions are unlikely to be withdrawn in one go, sources said.
At a meeting on Sunday, state chief secretaries told Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba that while protection is required from Covid-19, economic activity also need to be stepped up in a calibrated manner. With thousands of migrant workers taking special trains to go back to home, a restart of industrial activity will prove to be a challenge for states.