PM Narendra Modi today had a virtual meet with Chief Ministers from 20 states to discuss coronavirus.

New Delhi:

Economic activity in the country has resumed as the lockdown restrictions are being slowly removed, and its pace will depend on how well the spread of the infection is contained, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today at a meeting with Chief Ministers from 20 states to discuss coronavirus and the road ahead. His remarks on the economic revival come amid India and China’s “violent face-off” in Ladakh, in which an army officer and two soldiers died and the Chinese side also sustained casualties.

“Almost all the offices are open now, people are out on roads and markets. Even minor negligence can cost us dearly,” the Prime Minister said. India, he said, is capable of managing a rapid revival of its economy.

Over the last two weeks since crucial areas of restrictions were lifted, exports are up, two-wheeler production has been gaining pace, and power consumption, which was dropping, is now showing an upward movement, the Prime Minister said.

All this, he said, was made possible despite the virus. India’s capability to keep the casualty rate down and its fight against coronavirus is a “fine example of cooperative federalism,” he said.

“In the last few weeks, thousands of Indians have returned from abroad and hundreds of migrant workers reached their hometowns. Almost all modes of transport have resumed operation. Still COVID-19 impact has not been that huge in India as in other parts of world,” he said.

The states, he said, now need to give inputs on the ground reality.

“Two weeks have passed since Unlock1. Our experience during this time could be beneficial for us in future. Today I will get to know ground reality from you, your suggestions will help in chalking out future strategy,” he added.

The meeting comes as the army reported a “violent face-off” with China in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley last night, in which “casualties (were) suffered on both sides”. An officer and two soldiers of the Indian army died. This was the first violent incident involving fatalities since 1967 between India and China, which fought a brief border war in 1962.

India has logged 3,43,091 cases of the highly infectious virus. Over the last 24 hours, 10,667 new patients have tested positive. The number of fatalities had touched 9,900, with 380 deaths reported over the last 24 hours.