Punjab CM pitches for continued lockdown with well-crafted exit strategy

Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on Monday, pitched for an extension in the lockdown, but with a carefully crafted strategy, backed by fiscal and economic empowerment of the states to save lives and secure livelihood.

Clearly favouring continuation of a strict lockdown, in view of the escalating cases of COVID-19 nationwide, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, during the video-conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said states needed to be given greater flexibility in micro-planning as part of a carefully planned exit strategy, encompassing both COVID containment and a defined path of economic revival.

The exit strategy should consider and focus on fiscal and economic empowerment of the states, which are responsible for the real action directly impinging upon the livelihood and social health of the common man, said Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, suggesting that states should be allowed great flexibility in micro-planning, with the MSMEs to be allowed to function in red-zone districts with proper safeguards.

The decision on designating the red, orange/yellow and green zones should be left to the states, which were more cognisant of ground realities, Captain Amarinder Singh said.

Captain Amarinder Singh demanded urgent financial assistance to states to meet at least 33 per cent of their committed liabilities, along with revenue grants to the states for three months to meet shortfall in revenue and to fund expenditure on COVID-19.

The Chief Minister also called for a national strategy on COVID testing for making the battle against COVID-19 more effective, pointing out that he had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct Central Government institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab to increase testing capacity.

Captain Amarinder Singh also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the borrowing limit under the Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005, (FRBM Act) from 3 per cent to 4 per cent of SGDP to enable states to meet their fiscal liabilities.

The Punjab government had been fighting the COVID battle from the front, and had successfully brought down the mortality rate in the state to 1.8 per cent, while containing the doubling rate at around seven days against national average of 11 days, the Chief Minister pointed out during the meeting.