Central teams’ inputs vital for PM’s video meet with CMs

The inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) which are now fanned across the states where Covid-19 crisis is severe are going to submit their reports to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) by Sunday. These reports will act as inputs for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video-conference with the Chief Ministers on Monday.

PM Modi in this interaction with CMs will be taking stock of the lockdown situation 2.0 and will take a call on its further extension or staggered lifting. The IMCTs which are headed by a joint secretary rank official in the Government of India are currently touring the affected states to get a first-hand knowledge of the ground realities.
An IMCT which is currently in Hyderabad on Saturday interacted with Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and other health and police officials and visited some government run hospitals where Covid patients are being treated. The team inspected other hospitals and a newly created TIMS (Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research) at Gachibowli in the city.

This new facility created exclusively for Covid patients now has 1,500 beds, taking Telangana’s overall capacity to deal with the virus outbreak to 3,000 beds, including some ICU wards. Later, the team members consisting of officials and experts from different ministries toured some parts of the city and observed the conditions in the hotspots.

IMCT teams also visited West Bengal, Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. “These are the states which figure in the top 10 affected states in the country and where the Covid spread is fast and furious. Unless we tally our reports by tomorrow, we cannot say anything on the gravity of the situation,” said a member of IMCT while talking to officials.

The teams sent by the Centre to study the situation at the ground level are expected to certify the efficacy of measures taken by the state to deal with the Covid criis. For example, there were some reports that the implementation of containment zones (hotspots) in Hyderabad’s Old city was not effective. The teams went into such complaints too.

According to sources, the IMCT which visited Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad went round all the Covid wards and discussed the prospects of plasma therapy for which the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) gave its nod from 28 April. At least seven patients are eligible for this therapy.

The IMCT members also reviewed the economic aspects of the lockdown in view of the farm operations in rural areas that are underway. Procurement of paddy and its transport to rice mills and supply chain restoration are some of the issues which were studied by the team. The Centre is keen on procuring the entire farm produce from the farmers this season at minimum support price (MSP).

Non-payment of MSP by some rice millers in some districts came to the notice of the team which interacted with the agriculture department officials. Absence of enough labour and traders too is a reason for the poor prices to the farm produce. Telangana BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay was on a day-long fast at the party office protesting non-payment of MSP to farmers. Later in the day, the team members called on Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) who explained them the steps taken by his government to tackle the Covid crisis, according to the officials. Sources said that the CM was keen on extending the lockdown 2.0 by at least a few weeks so the situation would come under total control.

Though Telangana is better placed when compared to other states and the national averages on Covid crisis management, KCR wants to continue the lockdown till May end, which would also cover the going Ramzan festival season. It is not known whether the CM is ready for some relaxations after the current lockdown ends by 7 May in the state.

Telangana is not implementing whatever the relaxations announced by the Centre to the lockdown since 20 April.
Presently, barring supply of essential commodities and vegetables, milk and medicines, all other shops are shut and no business is allowed. As most part of the Hyderabad city is declared as a hotspot, no revival of economic activity here is likely.

KCR is expected to seek for further extension of the lockdown at the PM’s videoconference on Monday, according to sources in the government.

However, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is expected to bat for further relaxing the lockdown from 4 May. Compared to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh is allowing some economic activity as per the Central guidelines.