Adopt Punjab model to combat Covid: PM to states

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 16

Appreciating Punjab’s Covid micro-containment and house-to-house surveillance strategy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked all other states to adopt the model which was helping Punjab successfully control the spread of the pandemic to a significant extent.

While Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh was describing the state’s model, the PM intervened and suggested that all states should follow the same approach to effectively counter the outbreak, said a spokesperson.

‘State prepared’

On the state’s preparedness to tackle the pandemic, the Chief Minister said 5,000 isolation beds were ready in the government’s level 2 & 3 facilities, in addition to 10,000-15,000 beds in level 1 Covid care centres for mild patients.

The PM was conducting a videoconference with CMs of Punjab and other states, as part of his scheduled two-day interactions to review the situation.

During the meeting, Capt Amarinder suggested to the PM to set up a group, including a few chief ministers, to discuss and formulate a coordinated Centre-state response to the effect of the pandemic on the economy and governments across the country.

Capt Amarinder recalled that when, in early April, he had said Covid could go on till September, he was called an alarmist by some people. However, with experts now warning that the pandemic could continue even beyond September, it was important to learn to co-exist with it and cope with it, he stressed, underlining the need for the Central and state governments to work in close coordination.

Calling for urgent steps to mitigate Punjab’s financial stress, the CM said a detailed memorandum had already been sent to the Centre, listing out the impact of Covid and also seeking fiscal and non-fiscal assistance.

Even as he thanked the Prime Minister and Finance Minister for the release of GST payment of around Rs 2,800 crore in early June, Capt Amarinder said he had sought the release of the state’s pending share of taxes to tide over the fiscal crisis. The crisis in Punjab was likely to be acute with around Rs 25,000-30,000 crore shortfall in revenue collection on various counts, he said.

Even though Punjab’s contribution to the all-India cases was less than 1 per cent (at 3,140 cases) at present, with a mortality rate of 2.1 per cent and recovery rate of 75 per cent, the curve was rising as a result of the in-bound travellers and the easing of restrictions and more mixing of people, the Chief Minister said.

On the state’s preparedness to tackle further spread of the pandemic, he informed the meeting that 5,000 isolation beds were ready in the government’s level 2 & 3 facilities, in addition to 10,000-15,000 beds in level-1 Covid care centres for mild patients.