Allow states to categorize areas under red, green, orange zones: Chhattisgarh CM to PM Modi

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghe further urged PM Modi that the state governments should have the right to decide on the conduct of economic activities within the state. He said this during the PM’s video conference with CMs to discuss Covid-19 situation.

The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has suggested to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that state governments should be entitled to decide which areas should be kept under three zones- Red, Orange and Green – which, at present, have been classified by the central government.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel during the chief ministers’ video conference with PM Modi on May 11, 2020. (Photo Credit: Bhupesh Baghel / Twitter)

The suggestion came at the meeting on Monday that the prime minister held via video conferencing with chief ministers of states and union territories to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country. This was the fifth such meeting that PM Modi has held with the CMs on this matter. .

Baghel further urged the PM that the state governments should have the right to decide on the conduct of economic activities within the state.

“Chhattisgarh CM suggested to the PM that the state governments should be entitled to categorize the areas as red, green and orange zones in view of the status of spread of the infection, which has been done by Centre on the base of Covid-19 risk profiling,” said the press release issued by the state government after the video conference.

“Baghel requested the PM for financial assistance of Rs 30,000 crore to the state. He also urged that the credit limit for his state this year should be relaxed to 6 per cent and its fiscal deficit should be kept at 5 percent of the GSDP,” the release said.

“The Chief Minister said that large amount money has been donated to the Prime Minister’s Care Fund by the industrial institutions of the state of Chhattisgarh. In order to provide relief to the needy people of Chhattisgarh in the hour of this crisis, the funds should be transferred to the state,” the release stated.

Like the health workers, the Chief Minister requested the PM to include employees and officials of police department, municipal corporations, district administration and other departments under the PM Garib Kalyan Package.

“He also urged to increase 100 days of employment fixed under MGNREGA to 200 days,” the release stated.

“The Chief Minister also said that the state government had sought permission for a total of 28 trains to bring back labourers of Chhattisgarh, out of which only 15 trains have been approved. The state government is bearing the entire cost of bringing back the migrant workers, students, sick persons from other states. He said that about 1.2 lakh labourers of Chhattisgarh state are in other states,” the press release stated.

CM Baghel also said that regular train and air services and inter-state bus transport should be started in consultation with the state governments.

The nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 will continue till May 17.

EOM