Show specific, concrete direction on lockdown: Uddhav Thackeray to Modi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday (May 11) asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show “specific and concrete direction” on the ongoing lockdown.

During his interaction via video conferencing with the PM who chaired a COVID-19 strategy meeting with chief ministers, Thackeray said that deployment of the Central forces will give rest to police personnel in Maharashtra who are exhausted due to COVID-19 duty.

“Show us specific and concrete direction on lockdown, the states will implement the same,” an official statement quoted Thackeray as telling the prime minister.

Thackeray also requested Modi to start local trains in Mumbai for essential services staff working in the city, it said.

Maharashtra has so far reported total 23,401 COVID-19 cases, the highest in the country, and 868 deaths, including 14,355 cases in Mumbai with 528 fatalities.

“We need some help from the Central forces so that our police staff can take some rest. The staff is currently exhausted. We can not let them fall sick,” he said.

Thackeray also demanded medical facilities of various Central agencies, such as the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, the Mumbai Port Trust, located in the state as part of preparedness to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

“It will help in reducing stress on our administration and people,” Thackeray said.

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The CM told the PM about the arrangements made by the state government for food and shelter of some 5.5 lakh migrant labourers.

“We are coordinating efficiently with other states to send back migrant labourers,” Thackeray said.

He also demanded resumption of local train services for those employed in essential services.

“Local trains should be operated for those people who are allowed to go to work in the Mumbai region. They can board these trains only using their ID cards,” he said.

Thackeray also sought the help of the prime minister in disbursing crop loan to farmers.

“The Prime Minister could give necessary instructions to banks through RBI for disbursing crop loans to farmers who could not get the benefits of the loan waiver scheme of the
state government. Some 10 lakh farmers in Maharashtra would benefit out of it (if RBI allows such disbursal),” he said.

Thackeray said Maharashtra suffered a ₹35,000 crore setback on GST revenue due to the lockdown. “The state should get its rebate at the earliest,” he said.

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Thackeray further said that pharmaceutical companies in the state need some kind of encouragement for manufacturing medicines to treat coronavirus patients.

“The Centre can set up a task force of expert doctors like Maharashtra has done. The central task force will be able to guide our doctors from time to time,” Thackeray said.