Kolkata, April 23: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not in favour of continuing a stringent form of shutdown for an undefined period. Ahead of her video-conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27, the Bengal CM said she would appeal the Centre to roll back the lockdown in three stages, spread over a period of fourteen days. Bengal's Non-Resident Doctors Write to Mamata Banerjee, Express Concern Over 'Gross Under-Testing', 'Misreporting of COVID-19 Data'.

Mamata, while speaking to reporters, said measures are necessitated to prevent coronavirus transmission but essential economic activities in non-affected areas must also resume in a gradual manner. "As citizen and Trinamool chief, I want the lockdown to be scaled back," NDTV reported her as saying.

'Roll Back Lockdown in Three Stages'

"Roll back the lockdown in three stages over two weeks," Mamata was reported as saying. "I will share my opinion when asked," she said, suggesting that her demand to ease the lockdown would be reiterated by her at the video-conference which PM Modi is scheduled to hold with Chief Ministers of all states on Monday.

According to Mamata, her tentative plan to easen the lockdown does not include the resumption of flights and long-distance train services in the near future. "International, domestic flights and long-distance trains should stay shut," she said.

The nationwide lockdown was first imposed by the Prime Minister on March 24, after the coronavirus cases in India neared the 500-mark. The 21-day restrictions were extended by him till May 3, in an address to the nation issued on April 14. Modi said the crippling measures are necessitated to "save lives". The central government, however, allowed states to resume certain economic activities from April 20 in regions which do not entail COVID-19 hotspots.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2020 04:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).