The lockdown in West Bengal is being extended till March 31, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday. Earlier, the lockdown was to be on till March 27.
Also, while some parts of the state – especially the rural areas – were outside the lockdown, now it is being extended to every part of the state. The decision was taken after studying how rapidly the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) can spread and adequate steps must be taken now, the CM said.
Banerjee announced a special financial aid for the poor who work in the unorganised sector and have no work right now under the backdrop of state-wide lockdown. The scheme, “Pracheshta, and offer Rs.1,000 as aid to the poor. Earlier, the government had announced free ration for over eight lakh poor in the state for the next six months.
The chief minister said that she has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to increase the financial aid in Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act from three per cent to five per cent. A special donation fund has been created where people can contribute for fighting the COVID-19 situation in the state. SHe also asked newspaper agencies to distribute newspapers to their vendors within 5 am to 7 am. The distribution is to be done in batches so that large number of people don’t crowd around the newspapers. She said newspapers should not be piled up in one place on the roads from tomorrow.
The CM urged people to follow lockdown regulations to take the matter seriously and not to play on the streets. She also urged people to avoid crowding in markets while buying necessary goods every day like groceries.
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