Tuesday, 06 April 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Uttarakhand is witnessing an increase in the number of cases of novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) and the situation of the pandemic is under control in the state but there is no plan to impose lockdown in the state. The chief minister Teerath Singh Rawat said this while interacting with The Pioneer on Monday. The CM who himself had become positive for Covid-19 on March 22 said that he has recovered from the disease now and would resume work from his office from Tuesday. On the situation of the Covid-19 in the state he said that the state has a recovery rate in excess of 94 percent which is good and things are under control. “Yes we are concerned about the people coming from outside the state. We have made the negative RT-PCR report mandatory for the people coming from the high Covid load states’’.
The CM said that the arrangements of testing of the pilgrims visiting Haridwar for Kumbh have been made at the borders and the testing is being increased in Kumbh. He said that the focus of his government is on testing, tracking, treatment and vaccination to combat the Covid-19. “We are vaccinating more than 45000 persons in a day and this would be increased further. We have placed a demand of additional five lakh doses of the vaccine,’’ he said. Rawat emphasised that imposing lockdown is not a solution and one should keep in mind the economic consequences of the lockdown. He added that the state government is following the policy of micro containment plan to combat the disease. Rawat said that the tourism and hotel industry is picking up now and one hopes that everything would normalise soon. When asked about the tentative date for opening of the primary classes in the schools, the CM said that the decision on it would be taken by the state cabinet on April 9 after necessary deliberations.
On the former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat’s declaration of a separate commissionerate of Gairsain, CM said that he has already declared that the decision would be reviewed by the state cabinet. He however opined that there is no need of making Gairsain a separate commissionerate. Expressing grave concern on the forest fires, the CM said that forests are our wealth and every possible effort would be done to prevent damage to forests. “On Sunday I called the Home Minister Amit Shah over phone and apprised him about the situation of forest fires in the state. I requested him to send help to the state in the form of helicopters and NDRF personnel and he immediately agreed. Today two helicopters, one each for Garhwal and Kumaon have arrived. The union government has also assured every possible help to douse forest fires,’’ he said.
