Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandra Sekhar Rao announced the extension of lock down upto 30^th April in the state. Speaking to the media persons on Saturday at Pragathi Bhavan KCR said that the cabinet passed a resolution extending the lock down in the state upto April 30, a special cabinet meeting convened by him.

Telangana became the sixth state in the country which extends lock down till the end of April, after Punjab, Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. He also said the closer will be implemented even more strictly now. It would be eased in a phased manner after April 30^th. He also clarified that as earlier, movement of essential commodities, agriculture works, food processing industries and allied industries would be exempted from the lock down.

He stressed that Telangana would totally seal its border with Maharashtra given the surge in Covid- 19 cases in the neighbouring state. Even essential commodities would not be allowed to pass through the state. The cabinet also decided to promote students of class 1 to 9 without examinations. This decision is applicable to both Government and private schools. A decision of the SSC examinations will be announced soon. He also refused to open up liquor shops in the state before April 30.

There were requests from Chief Ministers of other states to allow their residents in Telangana to go back home in special buses or trains but the Government would not allow any movement of people till April 30.