Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his address the nation to formally announce a two-week extension of the countrywide lockdown to try and contain the spread of Covid-19.
Unlike the current three-week lockdown that expires on Tuesday, a few key sectors of the economy will witness certain relaxations during the next two weeks, they added.
These relaxations have been prompted by the need to balance health safeguards with livelihood issues, highlighted by reports of the poor facing hunger and the fears of growth hitting rock bottom because of a near-paralysis of economic activity.
Relaxations will also be announced for the agricultural sector, with crops waiting to be harvested. Several government departments, including the ministry of commerce, have helped draw up the list of relaxations.
“Prime Minister @narendramodi will address the nation at 10am on 14th April 2020,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted on Monday.
The agreement to extend the lockdown by another two weeks had been arrived at a meeting Modi had held with the chief ministers last Saturday.
The states have drawn up their own templates of a graded relaxation of the lockdown, depending on the severity of the spread of the coronavirus infection in the various districts.
This will be Modi’s fourth address to the nation over the Covid-19 crisis, after the March 19 announcement of a “Janata Curfew” marked by clapping and plate-banging on March 22, the March 24 declaration of the lockdown from the next day, and the April 3 appeal for lighting lamps and torches on April 5.
While Modi has a knack for springing surprises in such addresses, BJP circles felt he would restrict himself on Tuesday to explaining the need for extending the lockdown and assuring people the government was taking all possible measures.
“Modiji might tell the people about the grave situation caused by the pandemic and prepare them for the necessary sacrifices,” a BJP leader said.
He said the Prime Minister was likely to stress self-isolation and social distancing.
All key ministers and bureaucrats attended office on Monday after mostly working from home during the lockdown, the idea apparently being to signal the government was entering a new phase in the fight against the pandemic.
While some are expecting a limited resumption of air and rail services, sources said this was unlikely given the state governments’ resistance to people from outside entering their territories.