Thread by @CMOMaharashtra

Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray's address to the State today;

Yesterday, me and my Cabinet colleagues, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar ji, and Ministers from the @INCMaharashtra , @NCPspeaks and @ShivSena held a very positive meeting with leaders of all parties in Maharashtra.

They were told about measures being taken by us. Suggestions were sought from them. I am very happy that they gave some very valuable suggestions. Some of them are being implemented and others are in the pipeline.

This meeting saw an expression of unity keeping aside all political considerations. My confidence has doubled. All of them assured me that there is no politics here, and they will stand with the Government firmly. We asked them to let us know about any measures that can be taken.

Today, I am very anguished as I speak to you. Early today morning, the incident that happened on the Railway lines between Jalna and Sambhajinagar, has upset me a lot.

My appeal to the migrant labour is, there is no need to panic. Keep up your patience like you have been doing. The Maharashtra Government is with you, let us cooperate with each other as the problem is serious.

The Maharashtra Government , your State Government and the Central Government are in talks, and trains and buses are being provided for, we will inform you as the availability increases.

But while we do this, do not fall prey to rumours. There are rumours about trains starting from some place and people rush there.

What happened today morning is very unfortunate. Trains have started from Sambhajinagar. But, the people who lost their lives today, walked via the rail tracks to go to Bhusawal.

I do not know who told them to go to Bhusawal. They were tired of walking and sat on the railway tracks near the Karmad village in the wee hours of the morning. They fell asleep and lost their lives.

I will reiterate, please stay where you are, the State Machinery is in touch with you. We will send you back as we make arrangements and not rest till this is done.

For the past few days, there is a rumour that the Army will be deployed in Mumbai and there will be a lockdown and all shops will be closed. What is the need for the army? Whatever I have done so far, is after taking you into confidence.

As I said in our first meeting, you are the jawans in this battle. Those jawans are protecting the borders, but you are fighting this war with persistence and discipline by staying home. There is no need for the Army to deployed in Mumbai.

Facilities are being created at BKC grounds, Racecourse, Worli Dome, Goregaon exhibition grounds, and there is capacity to even double the one at BKC.

Why are we doing this? To provide primary care to asymptomatic and positive cases.

To ensure that we do not fall short of hospital facilities and to face the situation during the monsoons, I requested the Centre to make facilities and doctors of Central Govt Undertakings like Railways, Mumbai Port Trust and the Indian Army available to us if needed.

Those in our machinery like doctors, nurses, conservancy workers, revenue staff and police are under immense strain. Some policemen are falling sick and some have lost their lives while fighting for us. They are human beings and all of them need rest.

Hence, I have a plan in my mind, but please do not misunderstand this.

I want to request the Centre for additional manpower to give the police relief in phases for a few days. Some unwell police need time to be cured.

We may ask the Centre for additional manpower, but this may be misinterpreted as the army being deployed. But, it is not so. This is meant to give relief to the tired police force. Our measures are well-rounded, we are arranging for hospital, doctors and police.

I am telling this to you today, so that fear and misunderstandings do not creep into your minds as this happens.

We are sending migrant workers back to their states and bringing back our workers from other states using trains and buses. Similarly, students stuck in other states and within Maharashtra, will be brought back.

We will do this, but, we will also need to take precautions. The state has been divided in red, orange and green zones. Concessions have been given in green and to an extent in orange zones. But, we are not letting our guard down in the red zone,

especially the containment zones, like in Mumbai, Sambhajiagar, Pune, Malegaon and parts of Nagpur, where fresh cases are being detected. No one will be allowed to commute to-and-fro as otherwise, our efforts so far will go waste.

As I said in the past, the lockdown is a speed-breaker, we have succeeded in slowing the spread of the virus, but have been unable to break the transmission chain. We must break this chain now. Otherwise, for how many days will this continue?

The lockdown is in force till May 17, but what next? For how many days will we extend this? We must try to observe stringent measures once and for all, to sever the transmission chain of the virus permanently.

Our citizens and students stuck abroad are being brought back home. They will have to be quarantined.

We will not reduce testing in Mumbai. I do not want to make comparisons with other states, but we have conducted 1.5-2 lakh tests, and 1 lakh tests have been conducted in Mumbai alone. Testing will not be reduced and will continue to take place where they are required.

I will request you again, the mortality figures reveal that some came to us at the last stage. So, I have said it repeatedly, those with symptoms of cold, cough and fever must report to our fever clinics and doctors on their own, without any fear.

Of course, we are also conducting door-to-door checks. But, those with these symptoms must come forward on their own to get timely treatment.

Bear in mind, we have 18,000 positive cases in Maharashtra, which is a large number. But 3,250 patients were cured and discharged after testing negative. This figure says a lot.

The daily figure of positive cases is rising, but so is that of those being cured after quarantine, isolation, and treatment.

I got some different information today, this is a miracle of nature. One woman who was COVID positive, gave birth to a child, who was COVID -ve and healthy.

I have said this repeatedly, doctors and the police are serving us like God, no one should argue with them or attack them. Stringent action will be taken if they are attacked. Similarly, I am telling the Doctors, no sloppiness must take place in the hospital.

The Government and the civic body are with you if you need something. Do not force us to take action when everything is working smoothly. Mismanagement will not be tolerated.

I went to the BKC grounds the other day. We are also creating facilities at the Race Course. The BKC facility will accommodate 1,000 beds, and I have asked for the capacity to be doubled.

There is a sense of seriousness behind this. I am praying that we should not be forced to use this infrastructure.

But, while we add this capacity, we will also need Doctors. Many have volunteered to be ‘COVID Yoddhas.’ Today, I am also appealing to AYUSH doctors for help. Homeopaths and Ayurvedic doctors can come forward.

Let us counter this challenge together. Allopathy can be used for severe diseases, while Homeopathy and Ayurveda can be used to boost immunity. They can be deployed in fever clinics, to reduce the burden on the doctors in hospitals.

Let me request with folded hands. It is up to you to decide if the lockdown duration must be extended. If you show discipline and observe restrictions stringently, we will be out of this danger. No one is happy to extend the lockdown.

But, at some locations like in Mumbai and other cities, there seems to be a breach in this discipline. If you try to flout these restrictions, the more you will find yourselves in its grip. Maintain physical distancing, use masks, wash hands frequently.

No one can estimate the extent of this danger. Some say we will have to live with Corona, but how? By staying like this at home? This is not done.

Each citizen here is like a Jawan, a soldier. He will fight and conquer the virus. I completely believe in this!

Once again, I am making a request for your co-operation.

Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra!