<p class="title">Former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy on Friday sounded caution on relaxing the lockdown. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Both leaders said that the government should not compromise on containment of the coronavirus while attempting to reboot the economy by relaxing the lockdown. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“From the economy point of view, the lockdown must be relaxed. The situation is such that even paying salaries is difficult. But the relaxation has to be given carefully, keeping the red districts out and enforcing physical distancing,” Siddaramaiah told reporters, asking the government to exercise discretion. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Siddaramaiah urged the government to announce an economic package for those in the unorganized sector.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“People don’t have purchasing power right now. With an economic package, they’ll get purchasing power, the markets will run and the government will get revenues through tax,” he said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Kumaraswamy also concurred that relaxing the lockdown was necessary in the wake of economic difficulties. “But on Thursday alone, 71 people died across India. In Bengaluru, 10 new Covid-19 cases were detected. Testing isn’t happening in a big way, so nobody really knows what’s happening. So, the relaxation should be done in a manner that doesn’t waste all the efforts that have been put in till now,” he said.</p>
<p class="title">Former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy on Friday sounded caution on relaxing the lockdown. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Both leaders said that the government should not compromise on containment of the coronavirus while attempting to reboot the economy by relaxing the lockdown. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“From the economy point of view, the lockdown must be relaxed. The situation is such that even paying salaries is difficult. But the relaxation has to be given carefully, keeping the red districts out and enforcing physical distancing,” Siddaramaiah told reporters, asking the government to exercise discretion. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Siddaramaiah urged the government to announce an economic package for those in the unorganized sector.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“People don’t have purchasing power right now. With an economic package, they’ll get purchasing power, the markets will run and the government will get revenues through tax,” he said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Kumaraswamy also concurred that relaxing the lockdown was necessary in the wake of economic difficulties. “But on Thursday alone, 71 people died across India. In Bengaluru, 10 new Covid-19 cases were detected. Testing isn’t happening in a big way, so nobody really knows what’s happening. So, the relaxation should be done in a manner that doesn’t waste all the efforts that have been put in till now,” he said.</p>
