Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated on Saturday, after a marathon four-hour video conference with Chief Ministers, that the country could see a 14-day extension of the lockdown as that was the common demand of a large number of States including West Bengal. The Central government will be announcing guidelines for the same in the next couple of days.
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A set of remarks made by Prime Minister Modi at the meeting also shed light on the possibility that some economic activity may be restarted even in the extended lockdown period. “For the last two weeks or more people have shown great discipline and stayed indoors and tried to follow social distancing, since, as we say jaan hai jahan hai [the world for he who is alive], now we must also say jaan bhi jahan bhi [life and world],” a statement from PMO quoted the Prime Minister as saying, conveying an evolution in the strategy.
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Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanswamy after the meeting said Prime Minister Modi felt that farm activity should continue and said guidelines would be issued by the Centre on construction industry i