Heena Sharma Blog

The nationwide lockdown is all set to be extended beyond May 3, at least until the middle of the month in the red zones of the country, as many states told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video-conference meeting on Monday that it’s not the time yet to lift the curbs. This means more activities may be allowed to resume in green zones of the country. Most Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states support extending the lockdown, but will wait and abide by the Centre’s fresh guidelines. Telangana has already extended the lockdown until May 7, and will take a decision on further extension on May 5. Odisha, Meghalaya and some others support extending it by a month. Congress-led governments want the lockdown to be lifted in areas other than hotpots or containment zones. Read More

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced that all elected representatives in the state will take a 30 per cent cut in their monthly salary and honorarium for one year to help it tide over the Covid-19 -induced financial crisis. During a customary news briefing, Vijayan said that the government will deduct the salary of state employees -- ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), members of different boards under the government and members of local self-government bodies for six days every month for the next five months. Those earning Rs 20,000 per month would be exempted from the scheme. Read More

The Kerala government on Monday revoked some relaxations it had provided under its revised guidelines for the lockdown. The move comes after the Centre chided it for diluting guidelines provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). In a letter to the state government on April 19, the Centre took objection to the move to allow the opening of certain activities prohibited by the MHA in its revised guidelines. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a press conference on Monday, said there was no tussle between the Centre and the State. Read More