No electricity bill collection, recovery by banks for now: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan orders amid COVID surge

The chief minister said that the state police will help people get medicines and also spread COVID awareness through social media.

File Photo (Credit: ANI)

New Delhi: In a bid to ease the financial burden on people owing to difficulties arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday (May 5) ordered that there will be no collection of pending bill arrears by the electricity board for two months.

He also asked the banks to stop all recovery proceedings as the people were going through a tough time.

“Banks should stop all recovery proceedings considering the pandemic situation people are going through. Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Kerala Water Authority (KWA) have been asked to stop collect pending bill arrears for two months,” Vijayan was quoted as saying by ANI.

The chief minister further said that the state police will help people in arranging medicines and also spread COVID awareness through social media.

“Those who need emergency medicines and are unable to go out can seek the help of Kerala Police to buy medicine by calling the police control room,” he said.

“The State Police media centre will also spread awareness in social media about COVID-19 guidelines,” he added.

Vijayan also expressed concern on the rising positivity rate of COVID cases in the state.

On Tuesday, 37,190 people turned positive after 1,42,588 samples were tested in the past 24 hours while there were 3,56,872 active cases in the state.

The CM today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking allocation of 1,000 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen and 75 lakh doses of vaccines.

He said that the state needs the first installment of 500 tonnes, and then it should be given another 500 tonnes in the second round.