Tamil Nadu under an emergency: EPS – Times of India

The state is reeling under an emergency triggered by the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Monday, adding that the one lakh rapid testing kits ordered from China were set to arrive on April 9 and will be distributed to all districts the next day.
The Centre has sanctioned 500 crore to the state disaster relief fund, he told reporters after a video conference with district collectors, for the second time in less than 10 days. A government official later told TOI the exact grant from the Centre was 510 crore apart from 355 crore for revenue deficit grant.
The state which has 17 testing labs, including six in the private sector, labs, is awaiting the Centre’s sanction to set up 21 more, the chief minister said.
After enforcing the lockdown, Palaniswami had sought from the Centre a special 3,000 crore assistance to strengthen health infrastructure and for equipment such as personal protective equipment, N95 masks and ventilators. Days later, he demanded a grant of 9,000 crore.
The 1,000 announced for each of the 2.02 crore white ration card holders will not be extended to the 5.49 lakh green card holders (sugar) despite demands, he said. “The collection of state’s own tax revenue has dipped. Establishments and industries are under closure, still the government has been allocating funds with the available resources,” he said, announcing 1,000 each to members of 13 welfare boards of unorganised workers.
The dole had been announced for members of two boards earlier.
Asked if the state would offer incentives in electricity charges due to the high consumption during the lockdown, the chief minister said, “The state electricity board and transport corporations are under severe financial burden. Electricity board is reeling under an annual 16,000 crore loss.” A decision on Class X board exams will be taken after the lockdown ends, he said.
On the concerns over free movement of people and the demand for door delivery of goods, Palaniswami said the ‘sudden’ crisis required a lot of workforce and that only 90,541 people in home quarantine would be delivered essentials at their doorstep.
Advisories have been given to collectors to facilitate home delivery wherever possible, including setting up mobile vegetable shops to prevent people from stepping out, he said.
Refusing to divulge the details of tests conducted for participants of the Tablighi Jamaat conference in Delhi, the families and people who came in contact with the positive cases, he said that in Chennai, 37 areas had been ‘blocked’ and tests conducted for families, neighbours and others within a 5km radius.

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