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KCR does not dash the hopes of tipplers, allows liquor sales

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KCR does not dash the hopes of tipplers, allows liquor sales

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao did not dash the hopes of tipplers. Days after allowing lifting restrictions on production of alcohol in distilleries and breweries, the Telangana government has decided to allow restricted sale of alcohol by opening retail liquor stores.

On Tuesday, after the marathon Cabinet meeting lasting more than seven hours, KCR said the Telangana has allowed sale of liquor in all green and orange zones, excluding containment zones, in order to deal with major drop in revenues. In the last two Cabinet meetings, KCR ruled out allowing liquor sales in the state.

While standalone shops will be allowed to sell liquor in green zones, persons visiting the shops will have to maintain physical distance of at least six feet and will have to wear face masks. “No mask, no liquor,” KCR said.

The Telangana government’s decision to open liquor stores is in line with the central government’s directive allowing liquor shops in designated green and orange zones in the country with effect from May 4, apart from allowing resumption of liquor sales in rural areas.

The government has allowed the wine shops to open in the state post from 10 am to 6 pm, meanwhile bars and pubs will remain closed in the state. However, Hyderabad will not be allowed to open the liquor shops in the wake of increasing novel coronavirus cases in the capital city.

Further, the Cabinet has decided to hike prices of liquor by 16 per cent while that of cheap liquor by 11 per cent. The opening of liquor stores, many felt, can trigger surge in positive corona cases with unmanageable crowds thronging the liquor stores as was witnessed in Andhra Pradesh. On Monday, after the AP government permitted liquor sales, there were long queues stretching up to at least six kilometers in some green and orange zones while tipplers gave thumbs down to the social distancing norm. On Monday, the standalone liquor shops were reopened in green, orange and red zones, except in containment areas, after 43 days since the beginning of lockdown in the Andhra Pradesh on March 25, but the police had a hard time in several areas of the state in ensuring tipplers adhere to social distancing norms. The scenes outside the liquor stores were a horrific vision to anyone who’s been taking the advice of doctors and scientists seriously during this time, and state governments across India are trying to navigate their way around this thorny problem of overcrowding at newly reopened liquor shops. Experts believe that the situation in Telangana will not be any different from the one witnessed in neighboring Andhra Pradesh.

This is the fourth cabinet meeting. In the previous Cabinet meet, the Telangana government extended the lockdown till May 7 without any relaxations although the Modi government extended the nation-wide lockdown by May 3.

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Telangana CM urged not to give relaxations in Hyderabad, surroundings

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Telangana CM urged not to give relaxations in Hyderabad, surroundings

A day ahead of the crucial meeting of Telangana state Cabinet to decide on extending the lockdown, state health officials on Monday urged Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao not to give any relaxations in Hyderabad and three surrounding districts which account for the highest number of Covid-19 positive cases and deaths.

At a review meeting, the officials said there was a need to further tighten the lockdown in Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchel and Vikarabad districts.

They informed him that the cases in other districts have decreased and the number of containment zones has also been reduced.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, held an eight-hour long review meeting on coronavirus spread and implementation of lockdown. Medical and Health Minister E. Rajender, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, DGP Mahender Reddy, Special Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari, Family Welfare Commissioner AYogita Rani and senior officials attended the meeting.

The CM commented that only three positive cases reported on Monday and 40 patients getting discharged was a good omen.

The officials submitted a report to the Chief Minister informing him that so far 1,085 were infected by the virus and out of them, 585 recovered and discharged from hospitals and 29 have died. A total of 471 patients are currently under the treatment.

The virus spread is more in Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Medchel and Vikarabad districts. Of the total 1,085 positive cases, 717 (66.08 per cent) belong to these four districts. Among those dead, 82.21 per cent belong to Hyderabad and three surrounding districts. For the past 10 days, the highest number of cases reported from these districts.

“The situation is not at all good in these districts. Hence, please do not given any relaxations in these four districts. Continue lockdown as it is, if need be, more strictly. The situation has improved in other districts. Containment zones number also decreased there. In those districts red Zones are becoming Orange zones and Orange zones are becoming green,” the report submitted by the Medical and Health Department stated.

The Cabinet, which will meet on Tuesday, may discuss at length on the report and decide whether to continue the lockdown conditions, or give some relaxations and what should be done in the districts where the coronavirus spread is more.

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Telangana Cabinet meet on May 5, will KCR extend lockdown or lift curbs in green zones?

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Telangana Cabinet meet on May 5, will KCR extend lockdown or lift curbs in green zones?

As the extended lockdown nears an end on May 3 and with the state witnessing a downward trend in the number of positive cases in the state, the Telangana government has decided to hold a crucial Cabinet meeting on May 5 to take stock of the situation.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao, will decide on whether to continue complete lockdown or allow certain activities in green zones.

This is the fourth cabinet meeting. In the previous Cabinet meet, the Telangana government extended the lockdown till May 7 without any relaxations although the Modi government extended the nation-wide lockdown by May 3. In its second Cabinet meeting on April 11, the government while extending the lockdown till April 30 sought economic stimulus measures from the central government, including relaxation of the fiscal limit under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act to five per cent so as to ensure that the State’s finances are not adversely impacted. “The state revenues have declined significantly and therefore the central government should relax FRBM by at least 6 per cent,” the Chief Minister pointed out. Further, the Telangana government sought a moratorium on state loan repayments to be extended by at least to six months.

In the last one week, Telangana showed a steady decline in the number of coronavirus cases. The state has been reporting cases in single digit. On Thursday, the state reported 22 new cases, taking the tally to 1,038. The Inter-Ministerial Central Team that had visited the red zones and hotspots in Telangana lauded the efforts of the government in preventing and containing the spread of the virus in the state. Telangana has nine green, six red and 18 orange zones. With the number of cases slowing on the decline, the Telangana government may lift certain restrictions in green zones. However,the government is unlikely to lift restrictions and continue complete lockdown in Hyderabad since more than half of 1038 cases were reported in the city.

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Telangana becoming rice bowl of India: KCR

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Telangana becoming rice bowl of India: KCR

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has said that the Telangana state is becoming the rice bowl of the country due to the record level Paddy being cultivated in the state following improvement in the irrigation facilities.

He said that a comprehensive strategy is being worked out to get a reasonable support price for the agricultural produce, as there is an increase in the yield and acreage.

He directed the officials concerned to construct an additional 40 Lakh tonnes capacity godowns and form 2,500 farmer groups.

At a review meeting with ministers for agriculture and civil supplies and top officials, Rao noted that the life of Telangana is associated with agriculture. There are 60-65 lakh farmers in the state and there are many others dependent on agriculture.

He said as the government has taken on top priority construction of irrigation projects, in the days to come about 1,300 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of Godavari and Krishna waters would be utilised. Availability of water for irrigation improved due to revival of tanks under Mission Kakatiya and 24-hour free power supply. “Under projects, tanks and borewells, there is a possibility of having two crops in 1.45 crore acres and three crops in 10 lakh acres. Then Telangana State will become the Rice Bowl of India. The yield will be doubled in the years to come,” he said.

He wanted the practice of every farmer going for the same crop should be done away with. Farmers should go in for crops, which have demand in the markets. The agriculture department should suggest which crop should be grown in which area and farmers should follow it.

He noted that due to increase in crop cultivation, there is more demand for fertilisers and pesticides and seeds. This monsoon season, there is a need for 22.30 lakh tonnes of fertilisers. “Arrangements are being made to keep the fertilisers available for farmers. Fertilisers required for June are ready. Hence, farmers should purchase them in the month of May. Farmers should not crowd the fertilisers’ shops, but purchase them in a proper manner.”

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Telangana will become corona free in few days: KCR

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Telangana will become corona free in few days: KCR

Relieved over the declining trend in coronavirus cases in Telangana, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday exuded confidence that in the next few days, the state would be totally free from positive Covid-19 cases.

He said the decline in the number of cases augurs well for the state.

After attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference with all the Chief Ministers, Rao held a review meeting with Health Minister Etela Rajender and other top officials.

The officials informed the CM that on Monday, 159 samples were tested and out of them only two were found positive.

KCR felt that the strict enforcement of the lockdown norms is resulting in the decline in the number of cases. He said the quarantine period of most of those found infected will end on May 8.

He, however, said the government will not be complacent in the wake of the drop in the number of cases.

KCR said that as announced earlier, the lockdown will continue till May 7. He appealed to people to follow the lockdown norms and the government guidelines.

He announced that by Tuesday, 21 districts in the state would not have a single active case, adding that over 97 per cent of the patients were recovering.

KCR said with the virus spread being contained, the number of containment zones will also come down gradually.

He said the process to identify and test all those who came in contact with the returnees from the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi was continuing.

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Jagan-KCR attend PM’s virtual conference with CM

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Jagan-KCR attend PM’s virtual conference with CM

AP Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy and his Telangana counterpart KCR have attended the virtual CMs’ conference held by Prime Minister Modi. Curiosity arose on what Jagan would present before the PM on lockdown extensions. It is well known how CM Jagan is very desperate to hold local body elections and win 90 per cent results so as to shift Capital to Vizag on the strength of public approval. But, contrary to AP mood, many other States including Telangana are asking for lockdown extensions in the face of rising Coronavirus cases.

KCR has already decided to implement lockdown till there is clear decline in cases. Delhi, Punjab, Maharashtra, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal have also favoured lockdown. However, the Modi government was also in favour of lockdown to continue but with considerable relaxations to boost economy.

The Centre has already given a call for ‘minimum mobility and maximum output’ in order to balance between social distancing and economic recovery. CM Jagan Reddy has already expressed concern over diminishing finances which is putting Andhra Pradesh into a thoroughly disadvantageous situation. There are lots of expectations on the coordination and balancing act by the Centre and the State governments in putting the country back on recovery path while keeping COVID at bay.

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Telangana CM hints at further extension of lockdown

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Telangana CM hints at further extension of lockdown

Hinting at another extension of the lockdown, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday said if people extend their support to the lockdown for some more days, the situation would further improve.

Expressing satisfaction that the spread of coronavirus is on decline in the state due to strict implementation of the lockdown, he said if people extend their support to the lockdown for some more days and follow the guidelines given by the government on containment of the virus spread, the situation would improve further.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with the chief ministers through video conference on Monday, the situation in the country would become clear.

The lockdown in Telangana was already extended till May 7 while it will remain in force in the rest of the country till May 3.

The Chief Minister on Sunday held a high-level review meeting on the implementation of lockdown, measures taken to contain spread of coronavirus and other issues.

KCR reviewed the situation in Hyderabad and other areas. He enquired about the assistance given in the containment centres and instructed that the essential commodities should be supplied to people in these areas.

He also enquired about the treatment being provided to Covid-19 patients in Gandhi Hospital. He observed that the death rate due to coronavirus in the state is far less compared to the national average, which is some consolation to the state.

“The CM said that if the present lockdown continues for some time and people continue to maintain their personal hygiene and take precautions, the virus spread will totally come down in the coming days,” he said.

Stating that the PM will hold a video conference with all the CMs tomorrow, he said they would explain about the situation in their respective states. He hoped that some clarity would emerge on future course of action.

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KCR says enough medical supplies, Etela calls up Union Health ministry for more

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KCR says enough medical supplies, Etela calls up Union Health ministry for more

In a serious contradiction to Chief Minister K Chandrasekahra Rao’s recent statement that the government was battle ready to fight Covid-19 with adequate medical supplies, Health Minister Etela Rajender on Monday made an emergency call to the Union Home Ministry seeking immediate medical supplies to the state.

As the number of corona positive cases in Telangana nears the 1,000 mark, Etela Rajender made a phone call to union health minister Dr Harsha Vardhan on Monday urging the central government to immediately deliver 1,000 ventilators to the state government. Stating that the government had readied a 1,500 bedded covid-19 hospital in Gachibowli, the Telangana health minister urged the center to provide increased number of N95 masks and PPE kits.

Procuring the medical supplies from elsewhere would be a costly proposition for the Telangana government given the economic constraint by the complete lockdown and high expenditure from the steps taken for the containment of the corona virus, Etela told the Union health minister.

In a recent high-level meeting, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao said the government was full prepared to deal with any situation arising out the corona crisis. He said the government was ready to handle even if Covid-19 patients increase to one lakh and that the health ministry had kept 20,000 beds ready. At a high-level meeting with Etela, KCR said, “We have adequate kits to conduct tests. There is no scarcity of PPE kits in the state. We have 2.25 lakh PPE kits and the number will reach 10 lakh PPE kits soon,” he said.

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Can’t pay rent? ‘Don’t worry, be happy,’ sings KCR

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Can’t pay rent? ‘Don’t worry, be happy,’ sings KCR

As the lives of millions of Hyderabadis have been turned upside down, many of them losing their jobs and worried about paying their bills, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao directed property owners not to demand rents from their tenants.

Addressing a press conference after a marathon six-hour Cabinet meet on Sunday, Rao has ordered a three month moratorium on rents, a lifeline to people who cannot pay rents as some of them either lost their jobs or their salaries slashed due to the complete lockdown arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.

Citing the recent RBI three-moratorium on fixed term loans and EMI payments to help borrowers, Rao ordered landlords to exhibit the same forbearance in this hour of crisis. He even threatened the landlords with serious action if they harass the tenants for rents during the period of three months starting March 1. “Call 100 if you have any problem,” he said.

The Chief Minister also cited the central government’s recent order, issued under the Disaster Management Act, which stops landlords from demanding rent from migrant workers for one month. It also provides for strict action against the landlords who force evict their tenants. The Telangana government’s Cabinet decision follows similar orders issued by the UP government and appeals by the Delhi and Karnataka governments asking landlords not to harass the renters.

However, a significant drop in rent payments for three months would have a domino effect. Senior citizens could be severely impacted by the state government decision as they mainly depend on rent. Such a decision by the government would leave many landlords without enough money to pay their own electricity, water bills and even property taxes. Landlords, especially smaller ones that operate on small margins, will be unable to pay their bills or even buy essentials. Although there are no accurate figures, it is estimated that there could be at least 5 million renters in population of 8.7 million in Hyderabad.

Further, the Telangana government directed the officials to seize the wedding and function halls in the city and convert them into government godowns for a temporary period till the current crisis abates. “With the prevailing crisis of Covid-19 and total lockdown, the government is compelled to seize the wedding halls for the good cause of using them as godowns to store agricultural produce. In any case, the wedding halls should be closed till May 7 as the government has banned all large gatherings including weddings. This is a crucial time of harvesting. The government might as well use the wedding halls since they will be closed,” he said.

KCR says no to Swiggy & Zomata, asks people to have pappu over pizza

While the Modi government last week permitted e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and others to resume their services for non-essential items from April 20, the Telangana government ruled out any relaxations for the e-commerce players.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday after the Cabinet meeting, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao said food delivery aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato cannot operate in Telangana until further notice. “The government is not against Swiggy or Zomato. In fact, the government loses revenue as these players pay service taxes. In Delhi, a pizza delivery boy was found to have contracted corona. In view of this, the government cannot put its people at risk. I suggest people to have pappu for now and postpone pizza for a later date,” he said.

Hyderabad is one the biggest markets for food delivery aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato, especially in the IT corridor of the city. However, the Telangana government offered no relaxations to the food delivery aggregators in view of a Delhi a pizza delivery boy who tested positive for coronavirus and more than 72 families whom he contacted were quarantined.

In a move to give a fillip to the economy, the Modi government had recently relaxed lockdown regulations allowing e-commerce players to operate.

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Telangana to continue lockdown as it is

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Telangana to continue lockdown as it is

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday directed the officials to continue implementation of the lockdown as it is, indicating that there will be no relaxation for certain sectors after April 20 as suggested by the Centre.

On a day when the state reported 43 new cases, taking Telangana’s tally to 809, the Chief Minister instructed the officials concerned to continue implementing the current methods for the prevention of coronavirus spread.

The announcement was made on Saturday night after the Chief Minister held a review meeting with top officials, a day before the cabinet meeting which is expected to take a formal decision on continuing the lockdown in its current form till May 3.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, asked the officials to ensure that no one suffers due to hunger during the lockdown period in the state.

“Corona is spreading in the state as well as in the country. Against this backdrop, the entire official machinery should be on high alert. Don’t neglect. Since positive cases are on the rise in Hyderabad, have a strategic approach here. Administer containments properly.

“Don’t allow anyone from those areas to come out under any circumstances. Be on alert in the areas where corona positive patients are living and plan strategies accordingly. The government is ready to conduct tests and give treatment to any number of patients,” a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office quoted him as saying.

KCR also said that the poor should not suffer due to lockdown. The government has supplied rice and cash to the white ration cardholders. He asked the officials to identify the daily wage workers and extend assistance to them.

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Telangana to decide on Sunday over lockdown relaxations

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Telangana to decide on Sunday over lockdown relaxations

Telangana state cabinet will meet on Sunday to discuss and decide whether to continue the lockdown or make certain relaxations after April 20.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao will preside over the cabinet meeting, which will take a decision on whether to continue the current lockdown till May 3 as it is or relax it as per the guidelines issued by the Centre.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office on Thursday, the cabinet meeting will discuss steps being taken to check the spread of COVID-19 and the implementation of the lockdown.

Telangana is strictly implementing the lockdown in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases during the last few days.

The state has so far reported 650 COVID-19 positive cases and 18 deaths. Officials said 118 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

The National Health Mission has identified nine districts in Telangana as COVID hotpots. While Hyderabad and seven other districts are categorized as hotspots with large outbreaks, Nalgonda is a hotspot district with clusters.

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Telangana ready to handle even 1 lakh patients: CM

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Telangana ready to handle even 1 lakh patients: CM

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Wednesday said that the state has made all arrangements, which are adequate to handle even one lakh Covid-19 patients.

He told a review meeting with top officials that the government is ready to conduct tests on any number of people and offer treatment to those found infected with coronavirus.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, said the state had adequate test kits to conduct tests on any number of people.

There is no scarcity of the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, he informed.

“We have 2.25 lakh PPE kits. The number will increase to 5 lakh shortly. We have placed orders for another 5 lakh kits. As on date, we have 3.25 lakh N95 masks. The number will increase to 5 lakh very soon. We have placed orders for another 5 lakh N95 masks.

“Besides this, ventilators, other medical equipment, number of doctors, other medical staff, hospitals, beds — all are ready. So far 20,000 beds are ready. Even if the number of patients increases to one lakh, the government has made all arrangements for their treatment,” he was quoted as saying by a statement from the CMO.

The Chief Minister said that 259 containment centres have been opened in the state and stringent measures were being taken to check the spread of the virus.

The CM made it clear that as per the guidelines issued by the Centre, lockdown in the state would continue till April 20. Later, based on the circumstances prevailing then, changes would be made.

He desired that the initiative shown by the people’s representatives, and the cooperation extended by the people for the implementation of the lockdown and assistance to the poor should continue.

Medical and Health Minister Eatala Rajender said that there are 514 active cases in the hospitals. Eight patients were discharged on Wednesday and another 128 would be discharged on Thursday.

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KCR in self-isolation last 6 years: RK counter attack

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KCR in self-isolation last 6 years: RK counter attack

Telangana CM KCR is making direct humiliating comments on media persons in press conferences these days. He threatened to take action against the media for misleading the public on Coronavirus prevention measures. Now, ABN Radha Krishna says in his latest Kothapaluku comment that KCR is making such criticism out of his ignorance of the ground level problems of people and migrant workers in view of COVID-19 lockdown. RK went on to say mockingly that KCR is not expected to know people’s problems as the CM has been in his own self-isolation for over six years in his farm house.

RK made ultimate comments on the people of Andhra Pradesh as well. Only god can save them going by how CM Jaganmohan Reddy is continuing his maniac political game with total disregard for the health of the people in this Coronavirus threat.

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KCR seeks Rs 10.15 lakh crore package to counter recession

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KCR seeks Rs 10.15 lakh crore package to counter recession

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce Rs 10.15 lakh crore Quantitative Easing to counter what he called the impending recession.

Rao said that though the lockdown had crippled the economy, it needs to be extended till April 30 as the economic activity can be revived but human lives once lost cannot be revived.

The Chief Minister in a letter to Modi suggested that the only way to counter the impending recession is through Quantitative Easing (QE) and the effective use of ‘helicopter money’.

“Quantitative Easing proposed should be at least 5 per cent of GDP of the country. As per the Central Statistical Office, the 2019-20 GDP of India is Rs 203.85 lakh crore and QE at 5 per cent works out to Rs 10.15 lakh crore,” Rao wrote.

The Chief Minister said this approach was being followed by all major central banks of the world.

“All over the world, the central banks have taken very bold measures to counter the global recession which is worse than the Great Depression of 1929 and global financial crisis of 2008. Distressed times need desperate measures,” he said.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, told a news conference on Saturday night that he also put forward his demands before the Prime Minister during the latter’s videoconference with the Chief Ministers of all the states earlier in the day.

He said QE was required to help all the sectors, including informal business sector, industrial workers, the poor and farmers.

The Chief Minister said the revenue of the states had become nill. “As compared with the proportionate monthly revenue of Rs 4,000 crore, the actual collections are abysmally low at only Rs 100 crore in April 2020 in Telangana and borrowings seem to be the only option.”

He demanded that the FRBM limits on the fiscal deficit may be increased from 3 per cent to 5 per cent of GSDP for a period of one year to counter unprecedented slowdown

“To reduce the cash outflows and conserve resources to fight the recession, it is requested that the entire debt service (principal repayments and interest payment) of all the SDL loans, and the loans taken by state PSUs based on state government guarantee and negotiated loans may be deferred by two quarters and the ways and means advance, increased by 30 per cent recently by the RBI to manage temporary mismatches in liquidity may be further increased by 100 per cent,” KCR wrote.

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Telangana decides to extend lockdown till April 30, sends a list of demands to Centre

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Telangana decides to extend lockdown till April 30, sends a list of demands to Centre

With the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Telangana crossing the 500-mark on Saturday, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao announced that the State Cabinet has decided to extend the complete lockdown till April 30 in the larger interests of people and appealed to the people to continue the same spirit of staying indoors and maintain social distancing norm to further contain the spread of the corona virus in the state.

Further, the Cabinet has decided to provide uninterrupted water supply to the farmers for their irrigation facilities in the State till April 15. The Cabinet has decided to exempt lockdown regulations to key sectors like food processing, agriculture, farming operations and related activities for smooth harvesting and ensure food security in the state.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao said the state government will be sending two letters to the central government informing the Cabinet decision to extend the lockdown period by another two weeks, and another letter putting forth key demands before the central government.

The Chief Minister sought relaxation of the fiscal limit of Telangana under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act from 3 per cent to 6 per cent. In another significant demand, the Telangana government asked the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MNREGA) to bear 50 per cent of farm wages and the remaining 50 per cent will be borne by the state government. “While we enforce the lockdown in all its seriousness, we should not lose sight of major challenges in front of us. Most of the people in the state are in informal and unorganised sectors. Their livelihoods have to be protected through the lockdown period. We have asked the central government that NREGA should bear 50 per cent of farm wages, the rest will be borne by the state government. The Cabinet also decided to seek relaxation in FRBM so as to ensure that the State’s finances are not adversely impacted. The state revenues have declined significantly and therefore the central government should relax FRBM by at least 6 per cent,” he said.

Further, the Telangana government sought a moratorium on state loan repayments to be extended by at least to six months. The Chief Minister said the Cabinet has not taken a decision on conducting the SSC examinations. “A decision on the same will be taken soon,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the number of positive cases in the state rose to 503 positive cases, 14 deaths were reported. “93 people including foreign returnees, the Indonesian group were discharged after treatment. Around 1,200 Markaz attendees and those who came in contact with them were identified. Fortunately, the numbers of cases are slowly on the decline. Hopefully, things should fall in place by April 30,” he said.

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KCR urges PM to extend lockdown by two weeks

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KCR urges PM to extend lockdown by two weeks

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the nationwide lockdown by another two weeks to check the spread of coronavirus.

He also suggested that the food processing industry be allowed to continue its operations so that farmers don’t suffer and at the same time supply of essential commodities is maintained.

During the Prime Minister’s video conference with all state chief ministers, Chandrashekhar Rao made various suggestions.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, gave his suggestions with regard to saving people’s lives, agriculture and economy, said a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.

Stating that India is unitedly combating COVID-19, the chief minister called for moving ahead with the same spirit. He noted that international journals are lauding India for its efforts in tackling the situation.

KCR said the Prime Minister standing by the states was boosting their morale. He exuded confidence that India will win this battle against coronavirus.

Claiming that lockdown proved helpful in controlling the virus, he felt that it should be continued for another two weeks.

KCR laid special emphasis on the need to help the farmers saying they are key to the country’s food security.

He called for steps to ensure that food processing units operate smoothly. He said efforts should be made to operate rice mills, oil mills and various agro based industries.

He demanded linking agriculture to MNREGA to help the farmers in the distress. He said if farmers pay half of the wages from the labour from their pockets other half should come from MNREGA.

Stating that crores of tonnes of agricultural produce is ready to be harvested in the country, he said warehouses were not available to store the produce. He suggested that people be supplied ration for three months so that some space can be created for storage.

KCR suggested that the Prime Minister set up a task force to recommend a strategy to help farmers during lockdown and to run the economy.

He also wanted the Centre to take initiative to defer the loan installments to be paid by the states by six months.

He also called for extending FRBM limit from 3 to 5 per cent.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Telangana CM directs strict implementation of lockdown

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Telangana CM directs strict implementation of lockdown

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday directed officials to strictly implement lockdown in the state, saying only its proper implementation could check the spread of coronavirus as proved in some countries.

He appealed to the people to realise that lockdown alone can check the disease and cooperate with the authorities.

The Chief Minister, who held a review meeting on the situation with top officials, also directed them to ensure that there was no scarcity of essential commodities during the lockdown period.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that 16 new positive cases were identified on Friday. Family members of these persons and those who came in contact with them were quarantined. Though the positive cases are on rise, necessary arrangements were being made for their treatment.

The officials were asked ensure supply of the essential commodities like milk, fruits, vegetables, medicines, and meat and maintain social distancing at the shops during the lockdown.

KCR said people should also cooperate with the free distribution of free rice through the fair price shops and they should come to the shop at the designated time and maintain social distancing.

The government on Friday started depositing Rs 1,500 per family in the ration cardholder’s bank account. People were assured that every family will get the money.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Telangana Cabinet to meet on Saturday to mull lockdown extension

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Telangana Cabinet to meet on Saturday to mull lockdown extension

The Telangana Cabinet will meet here on Saturday afternoon to likely decide on extending the nationwide lockdown in the state beyond April 14.

The meeting presided over by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao will be held at 3 pm at Pragati Bhavan, Rao’s official residence.

It will discuss at length the situation arising out of the spread of coronavirus.

The Cabinet may also discuss the need to extend the lockdown, the Chief Minister’s Office said.

The meeting is also likely to discuss the state’s economic situation, future course of action, assistance given to the poor in the state and others who have migrated to Telangana, procurement of agricultural produce, crop losses due to hailstorm, and other issues.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Opinion – Social media in Telangana today is anti-social.

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Opinion – Social media in Telangana today is anti-social.

The government, both center and state, are fighting an uphill battle against corona virus. The Telangana government seems to be fighting another virus – surge of virus misinformation and disinformation. It is true that a lot of rubbish goes viral. Magic cures are being peddled; posts and videos are being shared in the social media spinning conspiracy theories as millions of people are turning to social media platforms in an attempt to stay informed about the latest developments and connected to friends and family in these days of ‘corona mahamarri’ .

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao thinks social media’s behavior is increasingly anti-social, the misinformation being spawned far more dangerous than corona virus. He cursed the purveyors of social media that they contract coronavirus. But, but, hey!!! He didn’t stop there. Rao crossed the ‘lakshmana rekha’ by accusing some traditional newspapers of spewing wrong information and cursed that the journalists “should get coronavirus”. “There are some newspapers, whether they know it or not, that are writing nonsense. I’m sorry for that. I won’t take names, but the other day a newspaper wrote horrible things,” he said.

As reporters questioned the government’s response to the virus outbreak, he complained, ‘We are prepared. The media has not treated it fairly.” Rao reverted to his blame-casting and media-bashing ways on Monday in a press conference where he staunchly defended the complete lockdown, lambasted the “fake news” being peddled by the anti-social media – the enemies of the people. Obviously, the chief minister seemed upset that the ‘section of the media’ had the temerity to grill him or for “writing nonsense, whether they know it or not”. Well, social media is nonsense. Surely, it must be. However, his son K T Rama Rao uses the most potent and powerful social media platform –Twitter to the optimum to ‘appreciate’, ‘congratulate’, ‘greet’ or ‘wish’ on birthdays of colleagues or engage in friendly banter with friends or political rivals. “Since when did I become anna”, he wrote in a recent Twitter post to Pawan Kalyan, for instance. Practice what we preach?

As a matter of fact, social media was aggressively used by the TRS during elections. The party made good use of social media platforms like Twitter, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to reach out to voters. KCR’s son K T Rama Rao and daughter Kavitha are way too well-versed in backroom strategizing, unleashing the power of the ‘anti-social media’ to take on the Opposition and political rivals. Well, social media is social so long as it serves political interests and party agendas. But social media can be dangerously anti-social, worse than the corona virus when the platforms are used to criticize the governments or their policies.

Probably, KCR thinks social media distancing will contain the spread of corona in the state. Perhaps he is confused. It is social distancing that can contain the contagion to an extent. Hating social media platforms will make KCR not only unpopular but also undemocratic. To say social media spawns misinformation or disinformation is fine, but to castigate it entirely and stretching the hate to the traditional media platforms like newspapers and TV channels can earn him bad press.

Social media is powerful and addictive with all its hoaxes, misinformation and disinformation. Attacking social media is one thing, bashing traditional media is another. The TRS and its boss should know this better. The party owns Namasthe Telangana, T News and Telangana Today.

The Chief Minister should know that the job of journalists in a free and open society is to ask questions — even uncomfortable ones. And to keep asking them until they get answered. Labelling unfavourable media coverage as fake news, cursing journalists that they contract corona virus is inviting trouble. It is like showing a red rag to a raging bull. When the time comes, the bull will gore.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Bandi Sanjay hits back at KCR Corona curses on media

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Bandi Sanjay hits back at KCR Corona curses on media

KCR is known for his total lack of patience and tolerance towards the smallest of criticisms. But, the way he is attacking his rivals in these days of epidemic threat is surprising many people. BJP Telangana President Bandi Sanjay has come forward to tell KCR how wrong it is to wish evil things for others for any person. Sanjay says it is not correct for a leader like KCR to forget his position as Chief Minister and begin hurling curses on the mediapersons.

Sanjay advised KCR not to wish wicked things for others because anybody occupying CM chair should always work for the wellbeing of all sections of people in the state. In his latest press conference, KCR turned very angry at some sections of media for writing negative reports on COVID-19 arrangements being made by the TRS government. KCR went on to use curses saying that those mediapersons should get infected with Coronavirus.

Even on an earlier occasion, KCR made similar evil wishes saying that anybody criticising government’s work should fall victim to COVID-19. Bandi Sanjay told KCR to see criticism positively and take corrective measures in the best interests of the people.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

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