No large-scale lockdown in India right now, Sitharaman tells World Bank


Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has stated that the government does not intend to impose a lockdown on a large scale as in 2020 and is only using local containment.

During a virtual meeting with World Bank Group President David Malpass on Tuesday, Sitharaman said there is currently no option for a complete lockdown of the country. On Wednesday, India saw its highest surge ever 1.84 lakh coronavirus cases in the country.

Sitharaman also paid tribute to the World Bank’s initiatives to increase the credit space for India to improve the availability of funding for development.

“Finance Minister Smt. @Nsitharaman announced measures taken by India to contain the spread of the second wave of pandemics, including the five-pillar strategy of vaccination against test tracks and the appropriate behavior of # COVID19,” the Treasury Department said in a tweet.

“Even with the second wave, we are very confident that we are not going after large-scale lockdowns. We do not want to bring the economy to a complete standstill. Isolating patients or local households where people are quarantined is with us the methods used to deal with the crisis will deal with the second wave. There will be no lockdown, “Sitharaman said.

Malpass and the finance ministers discussed the importance of the partnership between the group and India, including recent public service reform, financial sector reform, water management and health programs, according to a World Bank statement.

They discussed India’s Covid-19 response as well as the country’s large manufacturing capabilities for domestic vaccines, the statement said.

Malpass reiterated the World Bank Group’s commitment to support India’s response to Covid-19 and its work to reduce poverty and promote common prosperity.

He realized the importance of India’s Covid-19 vaccine exports – both in the region and around the world.

Malpass also highlighted the World Bank Group’s action plan on climate change, including the role of diagnostics in realizing the greatest benefits of climate finance.

Sitharaman also shared other government measures, including the distribution of LED lamps, the ethanol blending program under the National Biofuel Policy, the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy and incentives for electric vehicles to achieve environmentally friendly, resilient and inclusive development.

The daily average of Covid-19 cases across the country exceeded 1.5 lakh last week.




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