New Delhi: Flight operations, Railways and inter-state bus services are likely to remain suspended even after 14 April, when the nationwide lockdown is expected to end, ThePrint has learnt.
The move was discussed at a meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Covid-19 Tuesday, where Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman, among others, were present. The GoM, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was held to review the situation and steps taken across the country to fight the virus.
This was the fourth meeting of the GoM on Covid-19 since March 25.
Although no decision was taken on either extending or lifting of the lockdown, the ministers discussed the exit strategy of how it can be lifted in phases.
According to a source in the government, everyone agreed that inter-state movement must be restricted to keep the spread of the virus in check.
“Even if certain restrictions are lifted, inter-state travel will not be allowed even post-14 April. This includes air and rail travel and inter-state bus movement. Because if that starts, people will start moving around the country, which can prove to be dangerous, considering the present circumstances,” the source said.
The source added that although there is a plan to ease certain restrictions by 14 April, complete lifting of the lockdown is “out of question”.
“The ministers agreed that complete lift of the lockdown is out of question. An exit strategy is being worked out on how to go about easing out restrictions and it will be done in phases,” he said.
Besides that, the need to enhance testing across the country, close monitoring using drones and easing restrictions on the movement of agricultural labourers was also discussed, sources told ThePrint.
Also read: Transportation of goods in India comes to near halt amid nationwide lockdown
Supply of essential goods
The GoM also discussed the supply of the essential goods to parts of the country.
“It was noted that essential commodities were available in sufficient quantities and no shortages were reported from anywhere in the country. Also, all supplies are being smoothly transported to parts of the country,” a second source told ThePrint.
Religious places
The GoM also put forth their concerns over closely monitoring all religious places to keep a check on large gatherings.
“It was felt that places where the public tend to gather in large numbers such as religious centres should be closely monitored and any such gatherings be prevented,” the second source said. “Increased monitoring through drones was also suggested.”
Testing facilities
According to the second source, the GoM also discussed measures to enhance testing facilities in medical laboratories.
“The GoM recommended measures to enhance testing facilities in medical laboratories. They are aware that this is the need of the hour and needs to be taken up on priority,” the second source said. “All state governments will be given directions accordingly.”
Agricultural operations
Although a decision was made to allow agricultural operations during the current harvest season, despite a lockdown, many farmers have not started work as the message has not trickled down to the grassroots level.
The GoM, in this meeting, also decided that the authorities concerned be briefed about how to convey the message to these farmers at the earliest.
“Though the government has said that agricultural operations can go on, considering that a person can very well practice social distancing while working in a field, the message has not trickled down to the grassroots level,” the source said.
“The GoM discussed the same in great detail and has decided to ask concerned authorities to spread the message among farmers that they can come out in the fields to work, while practicing social distancing.”
The GoM also expressed satisfaction over measures put in place to provide shelter and food to migrant workers.
Also read: Trial assessing anti-clotting drug to algorithm guiding PPE use — latest on Covid-19 research
Respected , PM Sir, we a group of 6 family members of Kolkata are stranded in a lodge in Jammu since 21 March. All our return tickets have been cancelled.We are maintaining lock down properly . Plz help us to go back to our home in Kolkata. We have children and elderly person .We are running out of our resources. Plz help us Sir. ???Thanking you, Mrs.Kalyani Roy.
Contact no. 8583829181 , 9836649264.
Sir, my pregnant wife (about to complete 8 months) is in Kolkata with her six years old daughter and I am in Kahalgaon (Bihar) since 22/03/2020. Please allow passenger trains services after 14th April,2020 for one or two days between Kahalgaon and Kolkata so that I can attend my wife in her urgent need.
Please relax for 5 days, because migrant people will reach their home towns. Please look into this matter and the most of the truck drivers also stucked due to lockdown. If relaxed for 5 days every people go their home town and will co operate the government rules
Sir please trian chalu kar diyjiye.
I going to kolkata ,
Mumbai me atka hu he.
Mera mom @ papa idhar mumbai me se nehi ja pa raha he.
My children and I are in Chennai and we need to go back to Bangalore to Our family. Please let us reach our homes. It’s a humble request.
same here, my children and I are in Chennai and we need to go back to Bangalore to Our family. Please let us reach our homes. It’s a humble request.
Sir now i am in mumbai my hown town Bhubaneswar my coved19 test finish in seven hills. Hospital I need go my house Pls sir
Please allow for two days because we did not have work no salary no food so pls quit lockdown for 2 day only
Please allow for two days because we doesn’t have work no salary no food so pls quit lockdown for 2 days only
Govt has to instruct every hospital except corana dealt hospitals, to treat special cases like diabetic, cardiac, bp , cancer patients as usual. So many doctors simply closed their practice without any mercinious and humanity to survive their lives from carona.if doctor or soldiers relaxed from their duties means,it’s a big mistake.central govt has to bring forcible act to bring back doctors into practice.otherwise so many patients like diabetic,cancer,aids,bp,dialosis will die during this period. Government has to arrange special movement pass to above patients.
Please sir give us relaxation for 1 or 2 days …
To go to our home …because we all are stuck at other place …where there is no supply of food or other things ….plz sir give us relaxation for 1 or 2 days
I am stuck in my PG in Bangalore and my owner is asking me to evacuate because of this Covid-19.
My family is in Kolkata and are deeply worried about what’s gonna happen to me.
I have nobody here and no other place to stay.
Please you should really consider atleast 1 flight or train deported in each route so that those who are locked out of home can also return home.
Otherwise there is no meaning of stay home stay safe.
Plz allow daily labour to go to their native places. So many small scale industries shutdown , simply terminated their daily labour. Now their reserve funds are exhausted,if continues too many days ,they cannot survive on pavements without food, water and sheltee.these deaths has taken into Corona count
Sir pls give at least 2 days relaxing time. My wife and daughter 7 years old is stuck in jalendhar from last 25 days. Pls aloow them to travel to mumbai.
I request Government officials, Please give us relax time to atleast reach to our hometown. I stuck here in Hyderbad my family is there in Utter Pradesh. If I can have 2 days or even 1 day also I shall be there with my family. I strongly followed the rule of staying home and Im still following, Im not even going 100 meters away from my house…I only go when I require stuff to eat. The Print please help all of us to reach to our home s
Thanks
Please give 2-3days relaxation to travel with strict regulations…
I have a little suggestion,
Please allow Railways for 4 or 5 days, and make arrangement for only confirmed berths travel, I mean no passenger should be allowed to travel in Unreserved coaches and no waiting list passengers should be allowed in reserved coaches,
Only proper confirmed passenger should be allowed, and also every train has 4 or 5 unreserved coaches, my suggestion is to remove those coaches and in that place add reserved coaches and, in this way there will be no rush in the train, and only those will travel who has been confirmed proper reservations,
This will help at least some people will reach home, safely without any congestion, even I want to see my family in lucknow..Thanks
It’s a very sad stage.where we are away from our family n lost our dear grandfather.we are unable to go home n see him for a last time nor do our final rites.its causing soo much mental depression..ending up in tears n sadness and counting days with some hope of reaching back to family.This lockdown is very much important for the country and we totally respect it .but I really wish the govt should do some facility for people to move in such situations with complete precautions using gloves and masks..a proper test can be done at the airports.. just praying and hoping with whole heart some consideration will be shown to common man’s feelings.
I am shahroz alam working with a private construction company here in HPCL refinary Project Visakhapatnam and my family along with three schooling daughters are in Asansol.
Due to continuing lockdown I am very much disturb full fill day to day family needs so I still here in Vizag to leave Asansol for family so central govt or railway should lift the lockdown four to five days with safety precautions and required test so that I can (thousands like me) meet with the family and help them in this situation. Please help me out.
Dear sir.we are stuck in delhi we want to reach our state kashmir.we have our car our family is missing us in this hour of corona virus.we are suffering from every side.since one year as your good self know.and also all 4g in kashmir so that students don’t suffer
Sir I am staying alone kindly allow me to go back to my family there also suffering as there are also staying alone and no one is there to take care of them need urgent medication on of the family members having problems in eyes even becoming unable to see. I am staying at Mumbai and my native place is at Kolkata. Please allow me to go back there after necessary medical check done by the airport authority alter lifting the lockdown
The thing is extending lockdown is okay, but till when you will keep on extending. The ones who want to follow will anyway follow, And those who won’t will never follow. As the experts are suggesting, the lockdown can be taken off for- days, and aggain it can be applied. Ultimately it’s said if you’re not happy inside you can’t be healthy too, Hence, people should reach to their family members and loved ones., while maintaining all the restrictions and measures
Agreed on this…
We really need a 2 day relaxation for the stranded people to reach their homes. Many of them are suffering without money and food. We really need this help.from.govt authorities that they sbould not seemlessy extend lock down just to keep their hand high up in public. instead take measures for all those who are suffering. Open this lock down for 2 days after 21 april. When govt wanted us to support for 21 days, we kept quiet. Now we want the support from govt to evacuate us and make every posdible efforts for us to reach our home. Otherwise there will.be no meaning for # stay home stay safe.
Strongly agreed
Please give us two to three days , so that our Daughter is in hostel school will be able to come home . allow bus and train to rune.
We want bring her back to Bangalore from Dhanavur district Tirunelvelly.
Please allow us to reach to native. One or two days allow
Please allow us to reach to native.
Plz sir hamko yaha se nikaliye mere ghar pe meri mother serious condition main hai woh Dialysis patient hai aur mere siwa uska koi sahara nahi sirf 2 din ke liye train aur Aeroplane start kijiye aur sirf unke liye jo migrants hai please i appeal to the government of India
Its a humble request to the Government to allow domestic travels after 14 April atleast for 2-3 days for the family members to unite as they are stranded in different places due to the lockdown…..Please please…..will this reach them?
Please allow the flight service to get functioning for few days myself and my two son away from the family bcz of covid … Even we are worried about the current situation but how can we stay without our family at least consider. We are asking to resume the service to roam around
Namaste sir,
I struck in Hyderabad with my two little kids. My husband is at Bangalore. Children wanted to return Bangalore. They are panic. Pl. Alow the trains, buses,
flights for atleast 2days.
same here, my children and I are in Chennai and we need to go back to Bangalore to Our family. Please let us reach our homes. It’s a humble request.
Pls relax lockdown for 2 to3 days as i m stuck in Mumbai and my daughter is due for delivery in Karnataka .
Her EDDis 21st April .she is alone there no one to take care of her and this is her 1st delivery.pls help.
Please allow traveling of people who wants to go home.
Hi!
I am from Nashik, Maharashtra to see my ailing father who is in his last stages of life (it was his last wish)Now I am stuck at Jaipur.
Request our Indian Government and my Maharashtra govt to make necessary measures to unite with my family.I respect and appricite the steps taken for the safety of our people. Cosidering the mental status of people,trains flight must start for very few time so people who are stuck in different locations (interstate)must reach safely
I have also been stuck in Karnataka and at least allow me to go to my home.
Please make necessary arrangements to unite with there families stuck at other places
The government should open lockdown for five days so that people those who are stuck in this lockdown in far away places may able to come to their hometown. After that The government may lockdown for another 21 days. It’s my opinion.
Respected sir please think about us my brother is struck in other states plz allow atleast 3 days train resumption so that he can reach his own state…….please sir try to understand the problem…..with prior safety issues the railway can allow the people to come to their own place..
Mei apne father ko jo apni life ky last stage per hai un ko milne 22April ko Nashik se Jaipur aayi hu (ye unki last wish thi mujh se) Request hai ki Trains , Flights n road transport kisi bhi tariky se hum apne ghar pe pahuch jaye.please interstate traveling ki permission di jaye taki atke log sab apne apne pariwar ky pass pahuch jaye.Mei sarkar ka concern samaj rahi hu ki vo desh ki khatir lockdown extend karne ka vichar kar rahi hai hume manya bhi hai but jo log stuck up hai unky mental status ka dhyan rakhty hue unhe ghar kaise pahuche us ka arrangement bhi karna atti avayask hai mei bharat Sarkar aur Maharashtra govt se gujarish karti hu ki hamari sahayata kary aur hum apne ghar jaldi se jaldi pahuche
Dear sir I would like to request that I want to go to Bangalore my small kids are studying in hostle there .There teacher’s are messageing me to take my kids from hostle. IAM here stuck in Delhi because of lockdown .I beg a life of my kids and I want to go to Bangalore sir please help me.
Respected PM
We are kashmiri students stuck in Indore MP.
We request you to please lift the lockdown for 2 to 3 days. So that we can reach to our home town. We all are ready to remain in qurantine in our own state..
I am struck in gurgaon.due to lock down , my wife and my small childrens in Bangalore plz open the lock down atleast four days, after four days no problem to look down lot of people struck in all over India they are go there house
Request to government to open flight post April 14 for 2 to 3 days. Me and my family got stuck in other state. Eagerly waiting to return home.
Lockdown was suddenly imposed without giving any chance for shifting to homes. My children along with thousands of other students are stuck in Kota. Crisis of Corona is increasing day by day . Trains must be open at least 2-3 days so that these students as well as lacs of other people may be reached their homes or safe places before extension of present lockdown.
I am 70 and stuck at Mumbai, all my funds are over I have booked return journey to my home at Delhi by August KrantiRajdhani Express on April 15 and same is confirmed ticket. If GOI extended no trains after 15th April, I will be forced by GOI to live on street Andy’s without food. GOI should understand the plight of senior citizens.
Hi, going through the demand made by many above, w.r.t. permission to go home, it appears that they did not properly understand the extent of threat posed by Corona virus to the mankind. If you go home traveling from other places, it means you are inviting death to your family, no govt can allow this to happen, so dear bros nd sis, pl stay at the place wherever you are currently, may God bless you all.
Domestic air travel and rail services should be resumed to alleviate the suffering of stranded people. Thermal screening should be carried out before boarding. Only healthy persons without any symptoms of covid with confirmed reservations should be allowed to travel.
It is regreting that politician become expert of corona instead of scientist doctors and virologist
Stop the Natak and implement the steps as scientific strictly not politically
My son a thalassamia patient also stuck up in Delhi. Medicine also not available due to lockdown. Same patient require blood transfusion at regular interval. At least 2/3 days relaxation may be given, so that all needy people / patient can go to his homeplace to survive.
Namaste !
I am from Kharagpur. Its my request to state & central govt. please allow to those who really need their family support in ths period. we have recently completed our training (Apprentice) in Bhubaneswar. Bt unfortunately the extension of lockdown, we get stuck in Bhubaneswar. we are facing problems due to lack of stiphen in ths month. Our stiphen may also be delayed due to all this …………….So, its my humble request to our honarable PM…….Sir…..pls provide necessary help & allow us to go our home towns.
Please allow at least 2-3 days after lockdown to allow people who are stuck in different places to move back. At least this can help us.
Call me at eight seven five seven seven five nine four seven four
Please allow 2to3days relaxation to travel to our own place within the state atleast