‘Only farm, allied sectors will be allowed’Requested Centre to give loan deferment, says KCR

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao speaking at a press conference at Pragathi Bhavan on Saturday.

State Bureau  12.04.2020

Hyderabad

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao declared that all religious programmes and mass gatherings will be banned till April 30. No permissions will be given whatsoever, he asserted. The State government will allow only farm operations and food processing industries to operate. He pointed out that without farm operations, people will face scarcity of essential commodities. Permissions will be granted to rice mills, oil mills, flour mills and other value-addition industries affiliated to agriculture.

“With a population of 130 crore, no other country can supply food to us. We are a self-reliant and self-sufficient country in terms of food production. We need to allow farmers to continue their operations. Agriculture and food processing sectors will be allowed. They should take necessary precautions,” he said while briefing the media about the Cabinet decisions at Pragathi Bhavan on Saturday.

He said the Telangana government had also requested the Centre to give loan deferment failing which we will not be able to pay our loans. “The State revenue was only Rs 100.15 crore against Rs 4,000 crore in April. Even if we get additional loans and the Centre releases devolution funds, we will not be able to meet essential needs unless loans are deferred,” he said wishing for a favourable decision from the Central government.

Warning traders of stern action if they sell contaminated or spurious commodities, he said they will be booked under the PD Act. “Fair price shops are not hoarding ration. If such things happen we will cancel their dealership and will ensure that every eligible beneficiary received ration,” he said. Answering a question on compensation to farmers who have lost standing crop to hailstorm, he said that the government will support them.

Regarding the availability of masks, he said people can use towels, handkerchiefs and other clothes as alternatives. He also asked the Chief Secretary to conduct meeting with private hospitals and initiate action against those who refuse treatment to Covid 19 patients. He also ruled out opening of liquor shops at this juncture.

No need of private  testing now

“We are capable to test 1,000 samples per day. We will not permit private organisations to test. We have our reasons in this regard. If tested positive, we will immediately admit them into the Centre’s notified hospitals, which are fully equipped to treat Covid-19 patients. We are acting as per the latest update in treatment. We are providing all facilities to patients while treating them at free of cost, but affairs in private hospitals will not be in our control,” the Chief Minister said.

Now that the Supreme Court gave judgment to conduct free tests, no private organisations are ready to test patients, he added. The government will take all precautions before discharging them. A medical team of senior doctors clears each case of Covid-19 patient, he added.

The Chief Minister said the entire State administration was only focusing on containing the disease and making all efforts to break the chain. “We have no other intentions but to stop the spread of the disease. Entire Gandhi Hospital has been closed and staff are allowed under the surveillance of police,” he said.

He said that the government could procure only three major crops — cotton, paddy and corn. “We made arrangements for Bengal gram as the situation was bad for the farmers. We cannot procure all crops. No State government has procured entire crop of paddy and corn during a season in the history of India,” he said, adding that he had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the State was procuring produce from villages itself and had closed all market yards.