Former Chief Minister and incumbent leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis stressed on the need for flexible and staggered office timings and suburban railway schedules to reduce crowding in these local trains.
He was speaking in Thane on Monday.
Fadnavis was responding to a question about crowding in local trains, services for which have begun for state and central government employees and those engaged in providing essential services.
“I feel flexible timings are important now. Discussions must be held with suburban railway commuters organisations and office timings must be considered. The office hours and the railway schedules must be kept flexible,” urged Fadnavis.
Fadnavis also warned that COVID-19 infections were rising in areas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) like Ulhasnagar, Panvel, Thane and Mira Bhayender. Mumbai and the MMR accounted for 70% of the COVID-19 patient load in the state and the number of mortalities in this area was also more.
The rise in coronavirus-related deaths was worrying and the municipal bodies needed more funds and resources to tackle the situation.
Fadnavis said the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was willing to offer any aid to the state government to help tide over the situation. He claimed the number of actual Covid related fatalities was yet to come to the fore and 400 such deaths in Mumbai were yet to be accounted for.
