Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference meeting with Chief Minister of all States and Union Territories (UTs) to discuss the exit strategies post 21-day nationwide lockdown, several states went ahead to announce an extension of lockdown.
After their meeting with PM Modi, several chief minister including Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee V Narayanasamy and K Chandrasekhar Rao said that they were in favour of extending the lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19 and had suggested the same to the Prime Minister.
PM Modi too seemed to be in consensus with the CMs and reportedly agreed to their suggestion of extending the nationwide lockdown by another two weeks till April 30. According to reports, Centre is currently mulling over the suggestion given by state chiefs and a decision regarding the same is likely to be announced on Sunday.
PM Modi, during the meeting, observed that the combined effort of the Centre and the states has definitely helped reduce the impact of Covid-19, but since the situation is rapidly evolving, constant vigilance is paramount.
He emphasised the criticality of coming 3-4 weeks for determining the impact of the steps taken till now to contain the virus, adding that teamwork is the key to facing the challenge.
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While Centre is yet to make an official announcement regarding extension of the nationwide lockdown, several CMs took the decision beforehand and have already announced restrictions in their respective states. Here's a list of states that have announced extension of lockdown:
Odisha:
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was the first to announce an extension of lockdown till April 30. The announcement by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief came earlier this week after a state cabinet meeting where he said he was in favour of saving lives of livelihoods.
"In view of the situation arising out of COVID-19, the state government decided to extend the lockdown period till April 30," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a video message.
Punjab:
After Odisha, the Punjab Cabinet led by Amarinder Singh on Friday decided to extend curfew in the state by 21 days till May 1. The ongoing lockdown in the state includes a complete ban on public service vehicles.
Section 144 is in place in the state and all educational institutions have been instructed to remain shut till June 30. The Congress-led government has also deferred the state board examinations till further orders.
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Maharashtra:
With rapidly increasing Coronavirus cases in the Maharashtra and across the country, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday announced extension of lockdown in the state till April 30. The decision to extend the lockdown comes soon after Thackeray's video conference with PM Modi and CMs of other states earlier in the day.
Making the announcement, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the lockdown can be relaxed in certain areas while on others it will become stricter. He also said that the decision of lifting the lockdown completely after April 30 will be taken depending upon the prevailing situation.
West Bengal:
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government also announced a complete lockdown in the state till April 30 to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Making the announcement, TMC chief said that the decision was taken after a video conference between CMs of different states and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The Prime Minister said the ongoing lockdown will be extended in the country till April 30. We all agreed. So I have decided to extend the lockdown till April 30," she said.
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Karnataka:
Following other states, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa also announced extension of lockdown in this state till April 30, but added that it would come with relaxation for commercial activities in agricultural and industrial sectors to ensure minimal impact on the economy of the state.
He also said that the lockdown in place to check the spread of COVID-19 will be extended for two more weeks and the Centre will issue guidelines regarding its implementation in a couple of days.
Telangana:
Last to follow the suit was K. Chandrashekhar Rao-led Telangana government which on Saturday evening announced extension of lockdown in the state till April 30. Rao told reporters that the state cabinet has decided to extend the lockdown as it felt that it is the only way to check the spread of Covid-19.
He said that after April 30, the government may consider lifting the lockdown in phases. Rao also announced that annual exams from first to ninth standard will not be conducted and all students would be promoted to the next standard. He said a decision on conducting the 10th standard exam would be taken soon.
Meanwhile, other states such as Delhi, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand have also favoured the lockdown call and have jointly echoed that protecting the lives of people is their top priority and a decision on extension of the lockdown will be taken keeping that in mind.