Unprecedented: PM Modi Announces Nationwide Lockdown To Save India
| Onkareshwar Pandey - Editor in Chief - CEO, IOP - 24 Mar 2020

By Onkareshwar PANDEY

New Delhi, March 24, 2020: Taking an unprecedented, however necessary step, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced complete lockdown in India till next three weeks. This came after his announcement of One Day Janata Curfew observed nationwide on his appeal on March 22, 2020.

 From midnight, the entire country is going for 100 percent lockdown. This is to save every Indian, PM Modi announced.

The whole country will be locked down till next three weeks, PM Modi announced in his televised address to the nation.  He said, “There is no alternative of ‘Distancing’ to fight with Covid19.”

Whatever is required to save lives will be given top priority, PM Modi said.

"India is at the stage where our actions today, will decide that to what extent we can bring down the impact of this disaster. This is the time to strengthen our resolve again and again," Modi said.

This is biggest ever decision taken by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to effectively fight Covid-19 which has

Today India is at the stage where our actions today, will decide that to what extent we can bring down the impact of this disaster. This is the time to strengthen our resolve, again and again, said PM Narendra Modi.

This lockdown is in a way a curfew, but would be more stringent than Janta curfew. We may have to pay financial cost for this lockdown but it is important for safety of people, PM Modi said.

PM Modi made an appeal to the nation in very strong words with a prayer and a warning of what would happen if the lockdown doesn’t work.

He said that every citizen should be compassionate and grateful for those in essential services like doctors and nurses and police, and even the media and hygiene workers who are sanitising public areas.

Prime Minister Modi also announced a special package to uplift health infrastructure in the country.

PM Modi announced a 15,000 crore package for COVID-19, to acquire medical equipment and protective gear, and also increase training of medical and paramedical staff, testing facilities, PPEs, ICUs, and ventilators.

"I have appealed to state governments to make the public healthcare the highest priority right now. I am also sure that private companies will also join in the efforts to curb the infection," he said.

"People in countries like America have adhered to the quarantine guidelines laid down by the government to the last letter, which is how they are starting to overcome the disease now. Social distancing -- from the prime minister down to the last citizen in every village, has to follow self-isolation," Modi said, urging citizens for the second time over quarantine.

The Corona Virus has forced India to put 1.3 billion people on lockdown for 21 days.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday, the number of positive cases due to the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 519 across the country. Kerala, with 87, pushed ahead of Maharashtra, with 86. The Maharashtra government said the number of cases in the state has soared to 107. The state has already witnessed three COVID-19-related deaths.

Hours before Prime Minister Modi’s address to the nation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the last date for filing 2018-19 Income Tax return, GST return, and linking of Aadhaar-PAN has been extended to June 30 as the majority of India goes under lockdown to arrest the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The finance minister added that cash withdrawals from ATMs if any bank will be free for three months and that an economic package to help through the lockdown will be announced soon.

Under the leadership of PM Modi Government of India is taking all necessary steps to ensure that we are prepared well to face the challenge and threat posed by the growing pandemic of COVID 19 – the Corona Virus. With the active support of the people of India, we have been able to contain the spread of the virus in our country.

The most important factor in preventing the spread of the Virus locally is to empower the citizens with the right information and taking precautions as per the advisories being issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Image courtesy - Twitter

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(Onkareshwar Pandey is Founder, Editor in Chief & CEO, Indian Observer Post, and former Senior Group Editor- Rashtriya Sahara (Hindi & Urdu) and also former Editor, (News), ANIhttp://bit.ly/2mh7hih)


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