Thiruvananthapuram: The all-party meet on Monday threw its weight behind the government’s efforts to harness COVID-19 spread in the state.
However, voices across the divide urged the chief minister to foil fear-mongering happening in the society.
They in unison pointed at how closed shops, businesses, and vacant roads only added to the economic crisis faced by the state.
The Opposition, meanwhile, highlighting with examples the breach in alertness and marshalling preventive measures, said that the crisis could be fought out if all worked together.
CPI State Secretary, Kanam Rejendran said that stepping up alertness should not cause panic, and cited that people were off the road; there was fall in the revenue of KSRTC.
Shops and business should open, vehicles should be back on roads, bringing in normalcy, he said.
Ramesh Chennithala said that there were lapses in preventive measures taken at Munnar and Vellanadu, and also in the case of doctors at Sri Chitra.
Where Thiruvananthapuram district Collector urged the people not to venture out to the street, Chief Minister said just opposite of it; “Who should the people trust?” he asked.
There is severe scarcity of sanitizer and masks, he said.
The Opposition leader asked the Chief Minister to hold a meeting of Bankers forum to extend moratorium on agriculture loan and stop paying off loans in tourism sector, as it is the worst affected.