Telangana Lockdown: Highlights Of KCR’s Press Meet

HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday evening announced the extension of lockdown in the state till May 7th. He made this announcement at a press conference following a marathon cabinet meeting at Pragati Bhavan in Hyderabad.

KCR announced a host of measures and decisions on the Coronavirus-related lockdown besides other key decisions taken at the cabinet meeting.

Here are the Highlights of KCR’s Press Meet briefing on the cabinet decisions:

• All the guidelines including rules and regulations imposed by State government for initial phase of lockdown will be in force without any change. Consequently, there will be no relaxations, as proposed by the Central government from April 20 during lockdown, in Telangana.
• The Central government extended the lockdown till May 3. But Telangana cabinet decided to keep the lockdown in force (which it already extended till April 30) till May 7
• State Cabinet will meet on May 5 and review the situation of lockdown
• Swiggy and Zomoto services banned in Telangana from Monday.
• Government appeals to people not to order food online.
• Festivals, prayers must be confined to homes only. Whether it is Ramzan or any other festival, people are requested to celebrate only at home. All temples were closed. No religious congregations or mass gatherings are allowed.
• 50% deferment of salaries to government employees and public representatives will continue for the month of April also.
• Retired government employees will get 75% of their pension amounts.
• Police personnel to get 10% additional salary. Employees of Operations and Maintenance and artisans in Genco and Transco will get full salary for the month of April.
• Government directs landlords not to collect rental amounts from tenants for the months of March, April and May. The rental amount should be collected later in installments. No interest should be levied on tenants.
• Private schools should not enhance fee, not even by a single rupee for the academic year 2020-21. Other than tuition fee, no other fee should be collected. Even the tuition fee should be collected on a monthly basis.
• Legal action would be initiated against landlords and private school managements if they violate the government’s directives in this regard.
• White ration card holding families will get 12 kilos of rice free per head for April. Rs. 1,500 financial assistance for each family would be paid.
• Fixed charges for electricity to be paid by industries for months of April and May would be deferred.
• Gachchibowli stadium and sports complex, along with over nine acres of open land, has been transferred to Health department. From Monday, the 1,500 bed hospital set up on war-footing at Gachchibowli stadium will start functioning.
• A Cabinet Sub-Committee of three Ministers to develop comprehensive sports policy and develop a Sports City in Hyderabad.
• The temporary hospital set up at Gachibowli stadium would be developed into a medical college eventually. It will be named as Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.
• Agriculture to be taken up in 1.30 crore acres of land in Telangana. Farmers require over 20 lakh tonnes of urea. Arrangements are on to acquire urea. Farmers are requested to start buying urea from now to avoid rush in May and beyond.
• Lockdown to be enforced strictly. 50,000 vehicles already seized. "I appeal to people not to come out unnecessarily. In case of emergency, reach government by dialing 100.
• There is no medicine to cure Coronavirus as of now. So people need to be cautious and ensure COVID-19 did not spread.
• Passengers on domestic filghts coming from outside will not be allowed into Telangana State till May 7.
• Telangana is ahead of other States in conducting COVID-19 tests. No question of allowing private players to conduct COVID-19 tests. Telangana has the capacity to conduct 1,500 tests a day.
• KCR scotches rumours over the financial assistance being deposited in people’s bank accounts. He said the money deposited in bank accounts will remain in their accounts. So, don’t give into rumours and rush to banks in hordes resulting in crowding there. People can withdraw their money at leisure to avoid crowding, he said.

Also Read: CM KCR Extends Lockdown In Telangana Till May 7th