The government on Wednesday temporarily suspended toll collection on National Highways to ease emergency services in view of the coronavirus outbreak. The number of cases due to the virus are on a rise in India, forcing the government to impose a nation-wide lockdown till April 15. During this 21-day period, all services except essential ones have been asked to shut down.
"In view of COVID-19, it has been ordered to temporarily suspend the collection of toll at all toll plazas across India," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced. This will not only reduce inconvenience to emergency services but also save critical time, he said.
Currently, over 150 countries are affected by the coronavirus. According to data from the John Hopkins University, 4,38,000 people worldwide have been infected with this disease, and the death toll has crossed 20,000. The governments, companies and others are taking unprecedented steps to deal with the situation.
WATCH Zee Business TV LIVE Streaming Online
In one such step, the annual G-20 summit will be held virtually this year. It has been named G-20 Virtual and is being chaired by Saudi Arabia. It is expected that an action plan will be prepared to fight the coronavirus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the G-20 conference on the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday through video conferencing.
The video conferencing will take place from 5.30 p.m. on Thursday evening till 7 p.m.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi tweeted that the G-20 is going to play an important role in facing the COVID-19 threat. It is believed that in the meeting there will be an effective discussion on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus and the measures to mitigate its effect. Prime Minister Modi himself has said that he is expecting an effective and beneficial discussion on this issue.
By accepting cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
