Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today announced extending the lockdown till 30 April following a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with offering relaxations to strike a balance between life and livelihood. Schools, colleges, universities and all educational institutes will remain closed till 10 June and conduct online classes during this period, Banerjee said adding that the summer vacation will be clubbed with these holidays.

Gatherings would not be allowed anywhere in the state and the existing restrictions on movement of passenger trains and airlines will continue, she added.

“Mr Modi has said that the next two weeks are very crucial. They (read Centre) must have some information on this. We don’t want any difference of opinion with the Centre as the entire country is fighting this disease together. So we accepted the Centre’s proposal on extending the lockdown. I would request everyone to remain inside their houses during this period. The lockdown has to be imposed strictly, not forcefully and with a humane face while striking a balance between life and livelihood,” she said at a Press Conference in Nabanna after participating at the video conference that Modi held with several chief ministers.

Announcing further relaxations till 30 April, Banerjee said that groceries will be allowed to remain open from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. so as to avoid overcrowding of people during the morning hours. Bakeries will start operating but will follow the social distancing measures, she said adding that oil and wheat mills, too, will be operational.

Banerjee said that online home delivery system will continue. Police or market groups can come up with an App for delivering the essential items in Kolkata and townships, she added. Twenty per cent workers of tea gardens would be allowed to work instead of 15 per cent and small scale industries can operate if they maintain the necessary protocols, she added.

Agricultural work will continue and a new App ~ Annodhatri ~is being prepared wherein agency will go to the farmers to procure paddy directly. Areas that have been identified as COVID hotspots and clusters will be under complete lockdown meaning people won’t be allowed outside their houses but shops and markets would remain open, Banerjee said.

The Centre has asked for scattering congested markets and we will work on it, she said. Drones will be pressed to service for ensuring vigilance over gatherings and all congested as well as affected places would be sanitised immediately, she said. Special attention would be given to some areas of Howrah, she added. Banerjee today requested Modi to announce a ‘National Economic and Health’ package amounting to Rs 10 lakh crore each to all states to combat COVID.

According to Banerjee most countries are spending over 10 per cent of their GDP for handling the crisis while India is spending only one per cent of the GDP. We should spend at least six per cent of our GDP else necessary infrastructure cannot be set up, she said.

This apart, she also requested Modi for a special package for the MSME, unorganised sector and tour and travels. Reiterating her request for clearing the state’s pending dues, Banerjee urged the Centre for a Rs 25,000 crore special package for Bengal and yet again asked the Centre to release Rs 36,000 crore under Central schemes, clear around Rs 2,500 crore GST dues (which are pending from December to March) and release Rs 11,213 crore as part of devolution of taxes. She has requested 50,000 rapid testing kits.