Modi says "long fight", asks ministers to ready plans for 'slow' exit from lockdown

NEW DELHI: Cautioning people to be ready for a "long fight" against COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told his ministers to make plans for slowly exiting the ongoing lockdown and to contain the economic impact of the deadly virus pandemic, including by reducing dependence on other countries.
Chairing the first meeting of the council of ministers after announcing a 21-day lockdown to combat the coronavirus outbreak via video-conferencing, Modi indicated a phased emergence from the lockdown and said that "a graded plan to slowly open departments where hotspots aren't existing should be made".
Addressing his ministers in a video conference, Modi asked them to prepare business continuity plans to fight the economic impact of COVID-19 on a war footing, but also asserted that this crisis is an opportunity to boost the 'Make-in-India' initiative and reduce dependence on other countries.
"This is going to be a long fight. We don't have to tire or feel defeated. We have to win in this long battle. We have to emerge victorious. Today, the nation's goal, mission and resolve are one, and this is to be victorious in this battle against the coronavirus pandemic," Modi said.
Emphasising the need to strategise for the emergent conditions once the lockdown ends, he asked the ministers to prepare a list of ten major decisions and ten priority areas of focus while at the same time identify and implement pending reforms in their ministries.
"Ministries should prepares a Business Continuity Plan and be ready to fight the economic impact of COVID-19 on war footing. The crisis is also an opportunity to boost Make in India and reduce dependence on other countries," Modi told the ministers, according to the statement.
Highlighting the impact on India's exports, he asked the ministers to submit actionable suggestions on boosting manufacturing and exports and ensure that new sectors and countries are added in India's export net.
Discussing the impact of COVID-19 on farmers and harvesting of crops, Modi asked the ministers to explore the use of innovative solutions like 'truck aggregators' on the lines of app-based cab services to connect farmers with mandis.
"Welfare of farmers is of high importance. Government would provide all possible help to farmers in the harvesting season," Modi said and suggested use of technology and encouraging exploration of innovative solutions in agriculture.
Modi also underlined the need to devise a strategy to ensure procurement of tribal products so that the source of income source of the indigenous tribal populace remains intact.
At the same time, Modi told ministers to maintain effective monitoring on supply and availability of food items, to check price rises and black marketing and ensure no crowding at public distribution system (PDS) centres.
Laying emphasis on the effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), Modi told ministers to continuously monitor and ensure that the benefits of it keep reaching the intended beneficiaries in a seamless manner.
PMGKY is a Rs 1.7-lakh crore financial package announced by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to minimise the impact of lockdown on economy and poor.
Ministers should remain in touch with state and district authorities, provide solutions to emergent problems and formulate district-level micro plans to combat coronavirus, he said
Reiterating that lockdown measures and social distancing norms need to go hand in hand and hand, Modi told ministers to popularize Aarogya Setu app in the rural areas and grass root institutions.
The ministers provided feedback to the prime minister on the steps being taken to meet the challenges in tackling the impact of the pandemic and praised the initiative of lighting lamps, saying people from all corners of the country participated in it.
Experts opined that the lockdown, in its 13th day on Monday, has helped in slowing down the spread of the virus, but called for an exponential ramping up of the testing mechanism and upgrading of healthcare facilities. The Indian Council of Medical Research, which has so far conducted nearly 90,000 coronavirus tests, said orders have been placed for 5 lakh rapid antibody testing kits.
Sources said the Finance Ministry is also working on a new relief package for the Indian economy hit hard by the outbreak and the lockdown. Last month, the government had announced a Rs 1.70 lakh crore relief package in the form of food grains and cash transfers for poor and vulnerable sections to help them deal with the hardships caused by the lockdown.
Separately addressing the BJP workers on the party's 40th foundation day, Modi also asked every BJP worker to donate to the PM-CARES Fund and also encourage others to contribute to it to help his government's measures against the pandemic.
Modi also responded to the Opposition's criticism about his government's measures against COVID-19, asserting that India's efforts have set an example for the world and drawn praise from the World Health Organisation and leaders abroad.
India is among the countries which understood the seriousness of COVID-19 and launched a comprehensive and timely exercise to combat it, he said, adding that the country took one decision after another and worked to implement them on the ground.
He described the seriousness and maturity shown by people during the lockdown as "unprecedented".
“Nobody could have imagined that people will show such discipline and sense of service in a huge country like India,” he said, adding that the nation's collective strength was on display on Sunday evening.
Referring to Sunday's exercise in which millions of households across the country switched off their lights and lit diyas, candles or turned on mobile torches, he said it prepared Indians for the long fight ahead.
He urged BJP workers to follow his five-point suggestions, similar to what party president J P Nadda had said earlier.
“They should ensure that no poor person goes hungry,” the prime minister said.
He asked them to urge people to download the Aarogya Setu app, which informs and advises users about COVID-19, distribute face covers and asked others to sign on thank you messages to emergency staff.
Asserting that the battle against the pandemic is no less than a war, he urged party workers to donate to the PM-CARES Fund and also encourage others to contribute to it to help his government's measures against the pandemic.

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