Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday requested all private educational institutes in the state to consider slashing school fees or extending the deadline for payments, amid the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Insisting that the lockdown has dealt a blow to the economy and adversely impacted the income of parents, he said fees reduction would provide some relief to them at this hour of crisis.

"In view of the lockdown & associated economic stress for #COVID19, #Odisha Govt advised all private educational institutions to be sympathetic to consider reduction/deferment of school fees from April to June. This will help the parents whose income has been adversely affected," the official handle of the chief minister's office tweeted.

The advisory comes a day after the state government extended the lockdown in Odisha till April 30.

The government also announced that all educational institutes in the state would remain shut till June 17.

It said that students of Class 9 would be promoted to Class 10 for this academic session, following evaluation of the five papers for which exams had been conducted.

Arrangements have been made for the teachers to evaluate the answer scripts from home.

The School and Mass Education department has also formed a committee to take necessary measures for 2020-21 academic session, sources said, adding that steps were being taken to start online classes.

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