COVID-19 measures: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi extends full support to Modi government's lockdown

Gandhi in a letter to the Prime Minister said she and her party welcome the 21-day lockdown move.

"As President of the Indian National Congress, I would like to state that we will support and collaborate fully with every step taken by the Union Government to ensure the containment of the pandemic," she wrote.

However, Gandhi also made a number of suggestions to Prime Minister Modi which she felt the Centre must look into at this hour. 

Besides urging the Prime Minister to look into the urgent needs of the health workers, Gandhi said she felt the government must "immediately commission and begin construction of temporary facilities with large number of ICUs and ventilators in geographical areas where the outbreak is expected to be concentrated in the near future".

Gandhi has urged Modi to make direct cash transfer to daily wagers, MNREGA workers, factory labour, construction and unorganised workers, fishermen, farm labourers and more vulnerable sections of the society.

The Congress chief has also said the NYAY scheme, which was in the party's manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, should be implemented to provide a basic economic resource.

The central government has allocated Rs. 15,000 crore to meet the requirements to fight against COVID-19.

Days ago, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had extended the last date for filing Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns till Jun 30.

At least 650 people including the deceased and cured have so far been infected with the deadly virus which has kept the world on edge for past several weeks.

India on Thursday entered into the second day of three-week long nationwide lockdown.

(Image Credit: Congress Twitter)