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TN CM Palaniswami pitches for central support, requests more masks, PPE and test kits
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday pitched for Central government support to the state's initiatives tied to coronavirus pandemic like prevention and relief measures during his meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing.
By
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migrator
Chennai
Palaniswami, in the second such meeting convened by the Prime Minister to discuss ways to check the spread of coronavirus with all Chief Ministers, detailed the initiatives being pursued by his government in thwarting the contagion in Tamil Nadu which occupies the third slot in the country in terms of the total number of infections.
In his speech Palaniswami said supply to test kits should be increased and also sufficient number of APPE, N-95 masks and ventilators should be provided to the state.Â
Listing out various other measures taken by the state government to contain the virus spread, Palaniswami said the migrant labourers who were stranded are being taken care by the District Collectors by providing stay and free rations.
Palaniswami said 153 camps have been set up in the state housing 11,957 migrant workers and are provided with hot cooked food and medical facilities.
"I have also written to all Chief Ministers concerned, to provide all support to the Tamils who are stranded in their states," Palaniswami said.
The Chief Minister also asked Modi to the release in advance the grants due to states in 2020-21. Fifty per cent of the Finance Commission grants to the Urban and Rural Local bodies can be released now.
He also said fifty per cent of the revenue deficit grant can be released now and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation amount due for the December-January 2019-20 can be released immediately.
Similarly grants under the National Health Mission can be released immediately, he added.
"The Ways and Means limit of the States which was increased by 30 per cent by RBI (Reserve Bank of India) should be doubled. The Ways and Means advances availed in the fiscal year 2020-21 should be made interest free," he said.
As many as 110 new cases were reported in 15 districts of the State on April 1 bringing the total count to 234.
A brief release here said Palaniswami detailed Modi "about the preventive and relief measures being pursued by the state government and the Central help needed for such initiatives."
Health and Revenue Ministers C Vijayabaskar and R B Udhayakumar respectively, top officials including Chief Secretary K Shanmugam, Director General of Police, J K Tripathy were also present when Palaniswami deliberated with Modi from the Secretariat at Fort St George here.
Issues like migrants welfare, availability of essentials and contact tracing of Tablighi Jamat participants were also likely to have been discussed and information on such aspects are expected.
In Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and top bureaucrats were present along with the Prime Minister.
This is for the second time the prime minister is holding a video conference with the chief ministers after the spread of coronavirus, and the first after the 21-day lockdown came into force.
The lockdown was enforced on March 24.
According to the union health ministry, death toll due to coronavirus touched 50 on Thursday.
Total number of positive cases has risen to 1,965 in the country.
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