The State government on Monday did a U-turn and reversed the relaxations it had announced on Saturday on lockdown conditions such as allowing some sectors to work with a third of the workforce. Multiple factors seem to have triggered it.
While the Centre has frowned upon States that have eased lockdown, opinion expressed by experts against relaxation and incidents in Padarayanapura where BBMP workers, who tried to take away people to a quarantine facility, were allegedly attacked also contributed to the reversal of decision. These apart, there was simmering discontent over Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday announcing relaxation without consulting the entire Cabinet.
The State government’s explanation is that relaxations would increase movement of people between villages and cities and possibly lead to an increase in infections. They realised only after making a hasty announcement on Saturday, that it would difficult to maintain social distancing once lockdown is relaxed, which is critical to flattening the curve. “Several activities such as transportation of employees, production and supply of materials, accommodation and catering to food are interlinked and this would defeat the very purpose of the lockdown,” said a source. A key thing was the possibility of influx from neighbouring States.
So, amidst pressure from small and medium industrialists to allow industries to open, health experts and principal Opposition Congress stressed that social distancing must continue at least till May 3, no matter the challenges it brings.
Sources said the Centre too has come down heavily on States that announced relaxations. Though there was no specific strictures to Karnataka from the Centre, sources said several Cabinet Ministers themselves opposed relaxation moves. They even argued that the Opposition Congress would use it to target the government in case the number of positive cases increase in the post-relaxation period.
The Congress had already questioned the government’s “selective approach” while it announced relaxation to the IT/BT sector on Saturday, by ignoring the needs of smaller businessmen and occupations. KPCC president-designate D.K. Shivakumar termed Mr. Yediyurappa’s decisions on Saturday as “shocking news”, which contradicts Centre’s lockdown norms imposed till May 3. This was one of the points they raised during their meeting with the Chief Minister on Sunday.
Government sources say that an immediate trigger was also was the ruckus in Padarayanapura in Bengaluru city on Sunday night. This issue was debated intensely in the State Cabinet on Monday and some Ministers and leaders questioned what they called “soft approach” adopted by the government on lockdown norms and those violating it. A few days ago, ASHA workers were allegedly attacked in Sadiq Nagar in the city.
