Deccan Herald : Apr 08, 2020, 03:59 PM
Bangluru: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is cautious-yet-optimistic on the COVID-19 challenge the state faces. He tells DH’s Akram Mohammed and Bharath Joshi what the way forward looks like. Excerpts: Is the COVID-19 situation stabilising or worsening? I’m not in a position to find solace in the fact that Karnataka is in the 10th position nationally. All experts say that by April-end and May first week, this (number of cases) will increase. People are not responding appropriately (to the lockdown) and it's inevitable to take stricter action.What is Karnataka's exit strategy?Out of 30 districts, the virus is there in 19 districts. In the coming days, by making sure there's no trouble in these 19 districts, we can allow transportation and business within the other districts, if the PM agrees. In the other districts, we’ll have to be stricter. I've given the police full authority. So far, 28,000 vehicles have been seized (15,000 in Bengaluru alone), 1,670 people are arrested. FIRs have been registered against 1,091 people and Rs 40 lakh penalty has been collected. We're trying all this. I want to constitute district-level task forces. That might help bring things under control.Does the government have any idea on how many from the state attended the Tablighi Jamaat convention? There's still confusion on the numbers. I've already reached out to the Muslim community and appealed that those who attended the convention should come forward voluntarily to be quarantined in the interest of their own health. They’ve also agreed to not go to mosques for prayers. On April 9, they have a programme of visiting cemeteries (Shab-e-Barat), which they’ve agreed to cancel. We need everybody's cooperation. I won't allow a single community to be targeted.What's the amount of funds required to tackle this pandemic?We've not calculated that. We've already placed orders for equipment and supplies worth Rs 250 crore to Rs 300 crore. Over 50,000 PPE kits are available and we’ve ordered for more. We have 2.39 lakh N-95 masks, 6.93 lakh triple-layer masks, we have ordered for one lakh rapid test kits. A total of 65 factories are making 50,000 litres of sanitizers daily of which 25,000 litres are being supplied to the public. We have ICU beds with ventilators in the districts and there are designated hospitals. We're trying to deal with this beyond our strength.It was apparent that Health Minister B Sriramulu and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar lacked coordination. It's not true. The work Sudhakar is doing, I didn't expect he, being a doctor, would give so much time in studying this... Hats off. Sriramulu is touring the entire state and Sudhakar is focussing on Bengaluru. I've asked all Cabinet ministers to work in districts where they are in charge. In a day or two, I'll appoint in-charge ministers for five more districts. What happens now to the 2020-21 Budget promises? There's no guarantee that the lockdown will end on April 14. We can sit and plan only when normalcy returns. We announced several proposals in the Budget and we'll prioritize what we can implement. For now, because there’s a lockdown and people aren’t moving, it’s a good opportunity to take up road works. So I’ve asked the BBMP commissioner to look at works that are mechanized, that don’t require too many labourers. It’s unprecedented for a government to consider cutting employees' salaries. If there's no revenue, from where will you give (salary)? We aren't getting any revenues at all. Excise, motor vehicles taxes, commercial taxes. There are no collections. Everything has stopped. Still, we’re giving Rs 2,000 to 18 lakh labourers each, two months of rations and advance pensions. We're thinking of cutting 30% salary of our MLAs, MLCs and ministers so that we can use it for tackling COVID-19. Is your frankness stemming from a sense of anger or frustration towards the Centre? Not at all. It's what it is. Being the finance minister, I can't hide things.Karnataka will lose Rs 11,215 crore under the 15th Finance Commission this fiscal.We've asked for it. The Centre knows everything. In the coming days, once the situation becomes normal, the Centre will do what is necessary. Have you got an assurance?Well, we've talked. We don't want to discuss that now. We're only thinking of what we can do at the moment.