HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has extended the lockdown, which is ending on June 9, by another 10 days to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
The state cabinet, which met here on Tuesday, also decided to extend the relaxation hours from 6 am to 5 pm (presently, the relaxation is between 6 am and 1 pm).
A one-hour grace period has been given — up to 6 pm — to enable people reach their homes.
This would mean the lockdown will be enforced for 12 hours — from 6 pm to 6 am — till June 19.
However, the relaxation in lockdown timings will not be applicable for the assembly constituencies of Sathupally, Madhira, Nalgonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, Devarakonda, Munugode and Miryalaguda.
The government took this decision as these constituencies continue to report a surge in positive cases.
The present lockdown timings of 6 am to 2 pm will continue in the seven constituencies.
Sources said the decision was taken following the recommendations of the health department officials who toured these areas a couple of days ago.
The cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also discussed agriculture, ration cards distribution and developmental works to be taken up by the government.
The government had first imposed the lockdown from May 12 and extended till May 30 by providing relaxation in lockdown curbs from 6 am to 10 am.
The lockdown was again extended from May 31 till June 9 and the curbs were eased from 6 am to 2 pm, including one-hour additional time to reach homes.
It has been decided to constitute a cabinet sub-committee headed by minister T Harish Rao to review infrastructure and facilities in the state-run government hospitals and manpower requirement.
The sub-committee will visit states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala where better health care is provided.
The panel will also tour Sri Lanka to take stock of health care facilities provided there.
Ministers — G Jagadish Reddy, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Vemula Prashanth Reddy, V Srinivas Goud, P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Satyavathi Rathod — are part of the sub-committee.
The cabinet decided to sanction 4,46,169 ration cards which had been kept pending for the last two-and-a-half years.
The CM, during his Nagarjuna Sagar poll meeting and even on the floor of the assembly, had assured to disburse new ration cards to eligible beneficiaries and instructed officials to issue them within next fortnight.
Giving priority for special food processing zones (FPZs) in all the districts except Hyderabad, the cabinet gave nod for setting up the special FPZs in each zone in 250 acres.
The government asked the officials to have rice mills and food processing industries in the proposed TSFPZs.
Some district collectors have already identified land for the FPZs on the directions of the CM during the collectors’ conference.
The cabinet reviewed monsoon cultivation (kharif agriculture season), preparedness and Rythu Bandhu payments to eligible farmers.
The cabinet expressed happiness over increase in cultivation area under Kaleshwaram and other irrigation projects.