NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi indicated to legislature party leaders that the lockdown may have to stay in place beyond April 14 given the state of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic in the country.Modi told the floor leaders of political parties in Parliament that several state governments, district administrations and experts have asked for an extension of the lockdown, likening the situation to a “national” and “social emergency.” The three-week lockdown is scheduled to end on April 14.“I have been speaking to chief ministers and district collectors… the common refrain is that it is not easy to lift the lockdown,” the prime minister said. “We need to be strict in implementing social distancing norms. So be it lifting or extending the lockdown, the general mood is that it will not be possible to lift the lockdown at once.”Modi has called another meeting of all chief ministers on April 11 for consultations, after which the Centre could take a final decision on the lockdown.“He (Modi) said that the priority of the government is saving each and every life,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a release.“He added that the country is facing serious economic challenges as a result of Covid-19, and the government is committed to overcoming them,” it said.The PM also told party leaders that tough measures could be needed in the future.“After the discussion with PM Modi, we got a feeling that lockdown will continue beyond 21 days,” said Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha.More than 80% of the political parties suggested extending the lockdown, said Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress leader in the Rajya Sabha.“PM said that he is getting information from people that they want lockdown to be extended but the final decision will be taken after the meeting with CMs,” Azad said. The PMO said the leaders gave suggestions to the PM on “extending the lockdown and on a phased exit” after it ends.ET had reported on Tuesday that the government was contemplating extending the lockdown until the end of April, given the rise in infections. Modi said Wednesday that the situation was changing every hour & most countries were enforcing lockdowns and social distancing as to contain the spread.Worries about the economic impact of the lockdown also came up for discussion.Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar told the PM during the meeting that the Covid-19 epidemic will have a global impact.“It will be necessary to take appropriate steps to stimulate economic growth once again, for which the central government should start planning from now on to revive the overall financial system,” he told the PM.