Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that to end the ongoing lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19 is a challenge.
“It is easy to announce lockdown. It is a challenge to end the lockdown,” Ashok Gehlot said while interacting with mediapersons in Jaipur via video conferencing.
On the challenges posed by Jaipur’s Ramganj, where substantial number of positive coronavirus cases have come to the fore, Gehlot admitted that Ramganj is different from Bhilwara.
“I admit that Bhilwara is quite different as compared to Jaipur. Bhilwara model cannot be implemented as it is in Jaipur’s Ramganj. It is a densely populated area. Houses are in close proximity. But we are doing what is needed by bringing the necessary changes in Bhilwara model (for implementation in Ramganj),” Gehlot stated.
Gehlot mentioned that various sections of society were taken into confidence for the implementation of the lockdown.
“We took the dharam gurus into confidence to implement lockdown. We took social activists into confidence, we took different sections into confidence,” Gehlot said.
The Rajasthan CM also mentioned that he had sought a grant of Rs 1 lakh crore from the prime minister for the states which were weakened due to lockdown.
“I have made two three suggestions to PM. We want that Rs 1 lakh crore as grant for states. The basis for that should be number of deaths. It can be the population of those states as well,” Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said.
“States are really weakened due to lockdown. The Centre can print new notes through RBI. Yashwant Sinha has advised it. I have recommended the same. I have advised to PM Modi that money that is to be given to states should be given interest free. I have also advised that the money that the states had borrowed, a moratorium should be there on the repayment on that without interest for a period of six months,” Gehlot added.
The Rajasthan CM further said that modified lockdown should be implemented.
“My thinking is that modified lockdown should happen. But to what extent it can happen, depends on the Government of India,” he said.
