10 Central teams do ground-check to decide on lockdown extension

The Union government has sent 10 teams to to check the ground situation in nine states affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic, reported NDTV on Thursday (April 9). It said inputs given by these teams are likely to be factored into the Centre’s decision on the lifting or extension of the lockdown after April 15.

The government is expected to decide on the lifting of lockdown after Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a meeting with the chief ministers on April 11.

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These central teams, the report said, will report to the government regarding the ground situation in the nine states, including Bihar and Tamil Nadu. While Bihar has seen only a handful of cases, Tamil Nadu reported the second highest number of positive cases so far.

The prime minister had earlier this week hinted at a possible extension of the lockdown as he said, “From all accounts, the lifting of the lockdown is not possible,” according to the report. It may be noted several states had earlier demanded an extension of the lockdown in view of the present situation.

Related news: Lockdown unlikely to end on April 15, govt yet to make stance clear

The lockdown poses several challenges to the government, especially in view of the harvest season, besides financial problems.

The lockdown has posed several challenges to the farmers in this harvest season as many of the farm labourers and hired hands have gone back to their villages. If there’s any disruption in the harvesting process, it may lead to an inflation in food prices.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India on Thursday said the outlook for the country’s economic recovery has been sharply altered due to the pandemic. Besides, several states have also sought financial packages from the Centre.

Related news: Centre mulls extension of COVID-19 lockdown on request from states