The Telangana government on Sunday said that permission would not be given for weddings even after the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted in the state.
"For now, there won't be permission for functions and weddings, even after May 7. We can't open everything and allow people to gather so closely immediately. It will take around a month after lockdown is lifted for permission to be given," Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said.
KCR was speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, which decided to extend the lockdown in the state till May 7. The Chief Minister also said that the function halls would be used as godowns to store foodgrains if necessary.
"Function halls are empty in the state and godowns are less. As it is a matter of only one month, all marriage halls will be taken over by District Collectors to be used as storage for crops that have been procured by the government," he said.
The state government had earlier set up 7,700 procurement centres across Telangana amidst to procure paddy directly from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP). It will use the halls to store the procured foodgrain.
"Once this process is done, the function halls will be handed back to the management and they can resume their business," he added.
Meanwhile, the state government said that it was ensuring adequate supply of fertilisers and seeds for the upcoming kharif season, for which sowing will begin soon.
According to an update on COVID-19 released by the state government, the total number of confirmed cases as on Sunday stood at 858, while the number of active cases was 651.
It said 21 COVID-19 patients have died and 186 have been discharged from hospitals after recovery.
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