'We must focus on both life and livelihood': PM Modi in interaction with CMs to discuss post Unlock 1.0 situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with Chief Ministers of various states and Union territories via video conferencing to discuss the situation emerging post-Unlock 1.0 and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was the sixth such interaction of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers, the earlier ones had been held on March 20, April 2, April 11, April 27, and May 11.

Today’s interaction was the first part of the two-day interaction and witnessed participation of States and UTs including Punjab, Assam, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, Ladakh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu, Sikkim and Lakshadweep.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister observed that timely decisions taken to combat the pandemic have been effective in containing its spread in the country. When we look back, people will remember that we have presented an example for cooperative federalism to the world, he said.

We have tried to save each and every life, the Prime Minister said.

He underlined that all modes of transport are now open, lakhs of migrant labourers have travelled back to their villages, thousands of Indians have returned from abroad, and even though India has a huge population, coronavirus has not assumed as life-threatening a form as in the rest of the world.

He said that health experts world over are praising the discipline shown by Indians, adding that the recovery rate in the country is now over 50%. He also noted that India is amongst the nations with the least deaths due to coronavirus. Prime Minister mentioned that a big lesson is that if we remain disciplined and follow all rules, coronavirus will cause the least damage.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of usage of mask and face cover, without which no one should venture out.

"This is not just important for the person concerned but also for his family and community," said, according to a press release by the Prime Minister's Office.

He also talked about following the mantra of ‘do gaz doori’, washing hands with soap and using sanitizer. He forewarned that any laxity in the discipline will weaken our fight against the virus.

Noting that green shoots in the economy are visible with the efforts of the past few weeks. He said the rise in power consumption which was earlier falling, increases in fertilizer sale in May, increase in Kharif sowing in comparison to last year, production of two wheelers, digital payment in retail reaching pre lockdown level, increase in toll collection in May and bouncing back of exports are encouraging signals to forge ahead.

The Prime Minister said there is the significant importance of agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and MSMEs in the participating States, provisions for which have been made under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. Smaller factories require guidance and hand-holding, he said. He mentioned the importance of working together on value chains to give a fillip to trade and industry.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the benefits set to accrue to farmers through reforms in the agriculture sector, including new avenues to sell produce, increase in income which in turn would increase demand in the economy.

The chief ministers provided feedback about existing health infrastructure in their states and efforts for augmentation to tackle the impact of the virus.

Thanking the chief ministers for their views, Modi underscored the importance of being focussed on both life and livelihood.

The Prime Minister said that on the one hand, health infrastructure will need to be boosted with emphasis on testing and tracing, economic activity will also need to be increased. The decisions need to be taken keeping in view both current needs and future requirements.