Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to resume passenger train services at this juncture, saying allowing them would lead to movement of people and pose problems in testing them for COVID-19 and quarantining.
Rao, who spoke during the video conference held by Modi with state chief ministers, observed that the impact of COVID-19 has been more in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, an official release said here.
"Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao has urged Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi not to revive the passenger train services, which were stopped as part of preventive measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country," it said.
As many as 15 trains are to be operated by the Railways from Tuesday on the Rajdhani route from Delhi to all the major cities, including Secunderabad here, in the country.
Rao told Modi that resumption of passenger train services at this juncture would lead to the movement of people from one destination to another.
Nobody knows who is going from where to where. It is not possible to conduct tests on everyone. It is also difficult to put all those who travelled by trains under quarantine. Hence, passengers trains should not be allowed to ply, he said.
Rao also strongly favoured state governments allowing migrant workers to their native places, besides rescheduling the loans of states and raising Fiscal /Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limits.
"All the state governments should act with humanity as far as migrant workers' issue is concerned. We are a country with sentiments. The workers came leaving behind their children and parents in their native places. They would like to be with their family members. If they are not allowed to do so, there will be unnecessary trouble," he said.
Stating that operating Shramik special trains was a good decision, he said the Telangana government was sending back migrants who wished to leave.
Some of them had also come back, as seen when a large group returned to Telangana from Bihar by train, he said.
Both the Centre and state governments were working jointly to contain the virus and taking the right decisions at the right time, he said.
The Chief Minister said it did not appear that the virus would 'go away' soon and said one has to live with it.
He said city-based firms were trying to produce a vaccine for COVID-19 and was hopeful they would soon succeed in their efforts.
On the negative impact of COVID-19 on the economy, Rao said states are not earning any revenue and were not in a position to repay loans.
As such, the Centre should reschedule all loans, just like banks do so for farms loans, he said.
He also sought to raise the limits of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM). Rao stressed that lockdown regulations be strictly implemented in containment zones and there be no laxity.
Separately, he instructed officials to plan a strategy on the road ahead with COVID-19 remaining in existence, another release said.
The plan should take into account various aspects, including the resumption of economic activity, implementation of relaxations in zones (green, orange etc) and activities which should not be allowed, it said.
(PTI Report)
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