Notwithstanding the rapidly increasing CoVID-19 cases, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, in his maiden interaction with the opposition leaders, expressed confidence that the outbreak will be curbed in the state by the end of May.
The union government has been cooperating with the state and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was easily available for discussion and guidance, he said in the meeting, which he addressed through video conference. "I have been talking to you over the telephone and seeking your views. I am also reading what you say in the media. If they are good suggestions, I ask the administration to look into them," he said.
"The centre is also cooperating. The prime minister is easily available for guidance on critical issues," Thackeray said.
Thackeray appealed to the people living in containment zones, especially in Malegaon and Aurangabad, which are emerging as hotspots, to follow the CoVID-19 rules, and added that local elected representatives should cooperate with the administration. "Due to the lockdown, the number of patients did not rise (drastically) in April. We need to take care in May. The number of patients is growing in Mumbai and the government has created adequate isolation centers," he said. "The pandemic shall be curbed by the end of this month," he added.
The opposition leaders assured that they were with the government during this crisis, the CMO statement said.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said opposition leaders should help the farmers who haven't benefited from the farm loan waiver to get crop loans.
Leader of Opposition in the assembly Devendra Fadnavis stressed the need to focus on the situation in Mumbai and to improve the hospital management. There should be a plan in place to ensure the safety of medical workers, he said.
Fadnavis also said that the state government should demand more trains for ferrying migrant workers to their home states. He also suggested that steps should be taken to boost the morale of the police force, and recommended formation of zone-wise expert groups for the revival of industries.
PWP leader Jayant Patil demanded protection for agriculture-based industries. Bahujan Vikas Aghadi leader Hitendra Thakur said local train services in Mumbai should be resumed for a few hours a day. VBA leader Prakash Ambedkar said cotton procurement in the state should not stop. AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel said that hospitals should not neglect non-coronavirus patients.
MNS leader Raj Thackeray said the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) should be deployed in containment zones to assist the police who have been working non stop for two months. Migrant workers should be registered when they return to the state, he said, and demanded that the government declare its lockdown exit plan in advance.
