Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 28
The Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) has made series of suggestion to the Nagaland Chief Minister and Chairman of the High Powered Committee (HPC), Neiphiu Rio on COVID-19 regarding the management of pandemic in the State.
In a written submission to the Chief Minister dated June 24, the apex trade body in the State posed as to whether “extension after extension of lockdown is the only solution,” and justified saying it is “viewed with all seriousness."
The CNCCI maintained that the magnitude of COVID-19 cases could have been averted and prolong lockdown which the state is undergoing could have been more relaxed if the State Government had listen to “popular consensus” for implementation strict measures on travelling when second wave was “raging" outside. It was raging in Western and Eastern parts of India during March and April” even as an election in the state of Assam and West Bengal,' it said.
However, the State Government was only concerned with the air travellers leaving thousands of road and rail travellers during this period, it added.
In this regard, the CNCCI suggested some long and short term solutions to be implemented by the State government.
Anticipating 3rd wave
Stating that various governmental agencies and others involved in containing COVID-19 pandemic have predicted possibility of ‘3rd in 8-12 weeks from now,’ the CNCCI suggested that more efforts should be directed towards ensuring robust and effective border management, besides continuous local surveillance.
Among others, it urged the State Government to “immediately identify all the interstate check post, train station and airport and put in place makeshift testing lab and ensure all inbound passengers are tested at the check gate.”
The system of accepting negative test result from outside the state should be done away as negative fake/forged result can easily be produced, it argued.
It further suggested Public–private partnership (PPP) mode to run the makeshift lab as the financial liability on running such lab cannot be met by the State Government alone.
The CNCCI also recommended activation of institutional quarantine centres with “all seriousness and all inbound passengers negative or positive should be made to go under quarantine for at least 2 weeks” to ensure that the infection does not spread beyond identified area.
This suggestion is put forth considering the non compliance by many returnees put under home quarantine, it said. The government should open government run quarantine centre in every district and all the inbound returnees can opt for paid quarantine in hotels or centre for nominal fees ensuring all is “treated equally as per their desire and wish,” it said.
The HPC should sit with Nagaland Medical Dealers Association and hear them out and be prepared in the eventuality of third wave, the CNCCI said.
This would lessen the possible impact of 3rd wave in the State, it added.
Long Term measures
For long term measures, the CNCCI called for immediately categorising of the State “into the various zones such as red, yellow and green at the lowest village and colony level” and reviewing it fortnightly.
This would ensure all the towns, villages and colony that falls under the green or yellow zone is removed from the preview of the total lockdown according to cases periodically, it said, noting that it is “totally illogical” to lockdown areas at par with those living in red zones as it is neither helps the people nor the economy.
The case of lockdown in metropolitan cities like Delhi or Mumbai with “hundreds of crores of population squeezed in limited geographical area” should not be a copy paste standard in Nagaland which has just about 20 lakhs population spread across vast stretch of territory, it pointed out.
Prolonged Lockdown will cause more harm than good as thousands of families earning livelihood though daily wage and small businesses are being pushed to the, it maintained.
Stating that such a scenario could be “catastrophic” for the State, the CNCCI called for making a list of all the business activities and trade and ensure that all the activities gets at least 3 business days in a week from 6 AM to 2 PM.
The HPC may look into this suggestion from the angle of sustenance, livelihood and survival, it stressed.
The Confederation also expressed its displeasure over undue harassment meted out to the business community involved in providing essential services including pick up drivers and truck drivers from local volunteers and law enforcing agencies across Nagaland.
The State government should immediately come out with clear directives and penalties to safeguard these sections of business community who are slowly becoming wary, it said.
Meanwhile, the CNCCI said that the business community of Nagaland as the backbone of the State’s economy have stood up to the situation and has been working hand in gloves with the administration, citizens and government on both the 1st and 2nd wave by being part of every District Task Force (DTF).
The community provided the best service possible to the government ensuring that essential commodity across the state are available during lockdowns, it said.
The CNCCI if needed is willing to sit and assist the HPC, especially on the issue point out to your committee thought this letter, the letter added.
According to a CNCCI source, some of the suggestions were taken into consideration by the HPC on its meeting on June 28.
