Prime Minister Modi's meet with CMs: Punjab, Delhi for extension of lockdown

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday suggested that the nationwide lockdown should be extended till April 30 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with chief ministers, sources said.

The national lockdown should be extended by at least a fortnight, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh suggested; he also suggested a slew of health and relief measures for the people in the state's COVID-19 battle.

As the country battles the coronavirus, Modi on Saturday held video conference with chief ministers primarily to take their feedback on whether the 21-nationwide lockdown be extended beyond April 14 to stem the tide of the infections.


Kejriwal was of the view that the ongoing 21-day lockdown, which is scheduled to end on April 14, should be extended to the whole of India and not only in Delhi.

"Extending the lockdown in Delhi only will not serve any purpose," sources quoted Kejriwal as saying in the video conference interaction with the prime minister.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also added that there was a huge uncertainty about the incidence rate of the disease and that the nation was in for a long fight. Given the trend in China and several European countries, it was necessary to continue the lockdown.

Singh informed the meeting that the Punjab government had already decided to go for curfew or complete lockdown till May 1, with all educational institutions to be closed till June 30.

The central government is understood to have also obtained views on the issue from all the relevant agencies and stakeholders involved in the efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic.