While the nation still has got ten more days to stay under the unprecedented embargo which has been playing its role to stem the spread of the Coronavirus in the country, the recent video-conferencing meet between the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers birthed the expectations on whether the nationwide lockdown, which will be in place till April 14th, would be extended further to grip up the fight against the global pandemic.

Prime Minister Modi took stock of the current developments in the state through his meeting with all the Chief Ministers amid the nation has been reporting with surging cases of the virus. Our sources say that before chairing the meet with the CMs, Modi held discussions with Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the chiefs of IB and RAW on March 31st and during that meet, the leaders discussed the data issued by the World Health Organization and the international virology centers on the impact of Coronavirus in India. The epidemic has been increasing in the country.

The Health organization warned that India must expedite and put double the amount of the prevailing medical and preventive measures to combat the spread of the pandemic for which it becomes imperative to extend the lockdown failing which the death toll in the country may increase. Our sources stated that the authorities in the meet had indicated that the extension of the lockdown would add more risk at the current stage and the lockdown has resulted in shortages of essentials that had affected the people directly and suggested that the nation must handle the situation without extending the lockdown and the state governments must ensure to grip up the fight against the virus.

Following this meet, Prime Minister Modi has decided to reach out to the Chief Ministers through video-conference. During the meet, Modi urged the Chief Ministers to enhance the measures towards shielding the spread of the virus to mitigate it from finding the grounds for the community spread, to increase the medical facilities at the hospitals and asked the CMs' on the measures taken to monitor those who had attended the Jamaat Conference in Delhi. When Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami got his turn, he explained the preventive measures initiated by the state government, the deployment of special teams, the number of the affected cases, and the medical response and treatments given to the affected patients.

Edappadi Palaniswami has appealed to the Prime Minister to release Rs 12,000 crore for Tamil Nadu to strengthen the existing measures and procure preventive mechanisms and medical equipment. However, our sources further stated that Modi hasn't issued any assurance towards releasing the funds for any Chief Ministers including Palaniswami. The Prime Minister inquired with the Chief Ministers on whether or not to extend the nationwide lockdown. Most of the Chief Ministers have vowed not to extend the lockdown while the Chief Ministers of eight states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra stated that the final decision on extending the lockdown can be taken after the period of the current lockdown comes to an end on April 14th.

Modi further instructed the Chief Ministers to ensure that the current preventive measures stay active after the lockdown and no state should show apathy on the containing the spread of the virus and added that the Central government would issue the guidelines and advisories to the states to combat the spread of the global pandemic. After the meet with Modi, Edappadi Palaniswami has chaired a meet with the senior ministers and officials during which the government has directed to procure additional medical equipment including preventive masks and ventilators.