CM seeks rapid test kits, ₹1,000 cr. immediately

Palaniswami urges PM to allow only freight traffic

12/04/2020, T. RAMAKRISHNAN,CHENNAI

Personnel of the Greater Chennai Corporation and Fire and Rescue Services spraying disinfectants at a hospital where a doctor tested positive, on Saturday. B. JOTHI RAMALINGAMB_JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide COVID-19 rapid test kits and a grant of ₹1,000 crore immediately to procure medical and protective material.

He made the request while participating in a video conference, chaired by Mr. Modi and attended by Chief Ministers of other States, in the context of Tamil Nadu getting only 64.65% increase under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), while other States got 120.33%.

The increase was determined on the basis of the 15th Finance Commission methodology.

However, Mr. Palaniswami, who spoke from the Secretariat here, thanked the Prime Minister for releasing ₹510 crore under the SDRF.

In the last three years, Tamil Nadu had faced many natural disasters — Vardah cyclone and severe drought in 2016 followed by Ockhi cyclone in 2017 and the Gaja cyclone in 2018. Still, it got “lesser allocation” under the SDRF, the Chief Minister complained. In recent weeks, Tamil Nadu requested the Union government to provide personal protective equipment (PPEs), N-95 masks and ventilators in sufficient numbers, for which it wanted ₹ 3,000 crore.

Though the text of his speech, as released by the State government, did not refer to his making any suggestion for extending the lockdown, the Chief Minister said “train and flight services should not be resumed. I appeal to Hon’ble Prime Minister and other Chief Ministers not to allow inter State passengers’ movement.” At the same time, there should be smooth inter-State movement of these goods through lorries and supply of essential commodities, including dal and spices from other States through Railways.

Renewing Tamil Nadu’s case for the provision of “rapid test kits,” Mr. Palaniswami said the kits were required to cover contacts of positive cases.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had been requested to provide 2 lakh test kits to the State.

At present, the State had 12 government facilities and 7 private labs for COVID testing. “This needs to be increased by having at least one per district,” he said.

If the lockdown was extended, sections of society, such as unorganised sector workers and agricultural labourers, should be given ₹ 2,000 per family. The Central government should provide additional funds and allotment of essential commodities, he said.

Special package

Pointing out that “at this hour of prolonged lockdown, we should not allow a food crisis in the country,” Mr. Palaniswami sought the announcement of a special package for agriculture and horticulture promotion.

He reiterated various requests of the State government such as the allocation of ₹ 9,000 crore grant for launching a comprehensive plan for combating the effects of COVID-19 and its aftermath on the State’s economy; increasing fiscal deficit limits of 3% of Gross State Domestic Product to 4.5% for 2019-20 and 2020-21 and immediate release of 50% of the Finance Commission’s grants to local bodies.