NEW DELHI, June 16 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi today appealed to the chief ministers to turn the COVID-19 crisis into opportunity and said the experiences of all states will be discussed to strategize future road map of nation�s fight against the global pandemic.
Today�s interaction was the first part of the two-day interaction through video conference. It witnessed participation of states and UTs of Punjab, Assam, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, Ladakh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu, Sikkim and Lakshadweep.
The chief ministers provided feedback about existing health infrastructure in their respective states and efforts for augmentation to tackle the impact of the virus.
Home Minister Amit Shah said while the country has so far fought a successful battle against the pandemic, the road ahead is long and suggestions given by the Prime Minister should be followed by all.
The Prime Minister had held a detailed meeting with senior ministers and officials on June 13 to review India�s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting had reviewed the national level status and preparation in the context of the pandemic.
In his opening remarks during his interaction with the chief ministers, Modi highlighted the timely decisions taken by the government and early preparedness approach that helped the country to chalk out measures to save many lives.
He said when India�s fight against COVID-19 will be analysed in future, this time will be remembered for how the Centre and states worked together in fighting the pandemic. He said it served as an example of cooperative federalism.
The Prime Minister said in the last few weeks, thousands of Indians returned to India from abroad and hundreds of migrant workers reached their homes. He said that even a single loss of life due to COVID-19 is saddening and the nation should not lower its guard even during the unlock phase.
Highlighting the recovery rate of over 50 per cent from COVID-19, Modi said many countries are discussing the steps taken by the Indian government during the lockdown that helped achieve an infrastructure which has been able to treat a large number of patients efficiently.
Modi highlighted the increased sale of fertilizers, larger year on year sowing of kharif crops and digital payments in retail sector as few benchmarks. He also mentioned the historic reforms introduced by the government, including collateral-free loans to MSMEs and measures to boost agrarian economy.
