Maharashtra imposes mini lockdown |
Chief Minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray on 13th April announced a “mini lockdown” in the State for the next 15 days starting from 8 pm on 14th April. According to the fresh guidelines announced by the State Government, Section 144 would be imposed for 15 days and no one would be allowed to move in public places without a valid reason. All establishments, public places, activities, and services will remain closed except those under the `essential category`. The government also announced a financial package of 718 million Dollars to help individuals who will be directly affected by the restrictions and the closure of business. In his address, Thackeray said, “I am not happy while announcing these restrictions. I have been warning for the past month and now is the time to take action to break the chain. The only aim is to save lives. We can revive the economy if we survive,”. Thackeray said that he was aware of the hardships faced by the poor due to such restrictions and that the State government had decided to take steps to provide relief. He said, “70 million beneficiaries under the food security scheme will get 3 kg of wheat and 2 kg of rice each free for one month. The Shiv Bhojan thali will be provided free. Around 3.5 million beneficiaries in a total of five welfare schemes will get 1,000 Rupees a person every month for the next two months.”. Highlighting the State`s need for oxygen for patients, Thackeray said he had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow transportation of oxygen by the Air Force to ensure its speedy delivery to Maharashtra from far-off places.
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