Thread by @CMOMaharashtra

Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s address to the State:

Namaskar, Jai Maharashtra.

I took oath as a Member of Legislative Council today. I will complete six months as the Chief Minister by this month end. I thank you all for your blessings and good wishes.

I would also like to thank all political parties, and the leaders and legislators of the Maha Vikas Aghadi for ensuring unopposed elections in these difficult times.

Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has extended the lockdown for the country till 31st May. I understand that it is difficult being confined to home.

There are questions about whether we will exit this vicious circle. But no country in the world knows the answer. To win this war, physical distance and taking precautions as the only strategy.

We began taking precautions since March, or else the situation would have gone out of hand. We have been able to restrict the spread of the virus.

In the Green Zones, we had gradually allowed almost all restrictions to be eased. Restrictions are being eased in the Orange zones. But, we cannot afford to do this in the containment areas in red zones.

So far, 50,000 industries in Maharashtra have been permitted to open. These employ 5 lakh workers. Though 70,000 industries have been permitted to start, of these 50,000 have actual begun work.

In red zones, largely in the municipal areas like Mumbai, Pune and Sambhajinagar, the curbs are stringent, but we have permitted industrial activities in these divisions.

In Maharashtra, we are reserving over 40,000 acre land for new industries. There will be no conditions for green industries except one, that, they should be non-polluting. We are inviting new industries to launch in Maharashtra.

If new industrial investors cannot afford to purchase land now, we will rent it to them. We will ensure basic infrastructure and not impose stringent conditions. We will launch a new phase of industrialisation in Maharashtra.

The challenge is to ensure that there are no Corona infections in the Green zone and to gradually convert the Red zone to a Green zone.

Some industries which have been allowed to re-start operations in the Green zone are facing a shortage of workers.

I want to appeal to the bhumiputra of Maharashtra. Till now, you stayed at home to save Maharashtra. Now, you must go to work in industries in Green zones. To use Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s term, this will make Maharashtra ‘atmanirbhar.’ Seize this opportunity.

Many treat this as just another strain of flu. But, there are medicines for other types of flu like swine flu, but none for Corona yet.

Today, I visited the Covid care centre at BKC with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar ji, and Ministers Balasaheb Thorat ji, Eknath Shinde ji, Aaditya and other officials. This 1,000 bed centre has been created by MMRDA Commissioner R.A Rajeev, and it will be operational in a couple of days.

These jumbo facilities will not just be Covid care centres, and will have all beds with oxygen facilities. Some centres will also have ICU beds. We have created robust health infrastructure and will strengthen it further.

We have created 1,484 covid care centres with 2.50 lakh isolation beds capacity with oxygen facilities. We are going in for futuristic planning to ensure self-sufficiency.

Thousands have responded to my COVID Yoddha appeal, but I want more of them.

The police are stressed, a good officer lost his life recently and two were killed at Gadchiroli while fighting Naxals. They are stressed. We need to give them periodic rest without waiting for them to fall ill. That is why I need more Covid Yoddhas to take the initiative.

We usually see the number of positive cases rising daily, but fail to account for those being cured. Mumbai has had 19,500 positive cases, but of these 5,000 were cured and sent home. This means timely treatment helps cure patients.

What if we lift the lockdown and the pandemic spreads? Look at what happened in countries like Brazil, Britain, America, and Italy. I do not want this to happen in Maharashtra. I will act in the best interests of the State first, always.

So far, around 5 lakh migrant labourers have been sent to their home States in controlled conditions by trains and buses. Many migrant labourers from other States are walking on the roads. Don’t walk on the roads. This leads to mishaps.

Trains and buses are being started. Stay where you are, the district collectors and others are taking good care of you. Trains are leaving daily for UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Gujarat. As trains are available, we will send you back home safely. So, dont get impatient.

Notably, we have not charged them for their tickets. We have paid for their tickets through the CMRF, and NGOs have also come forward.

Many from Konkan and Western Maharashtra, want to go back home. You are our own people, we will gradually send you home. But, don’t be impatient.

This is the mango and cashew season, and being in the Konkan now is fun. But, this summer is different. My request is, do not walk on the road to go back. Some districts are COVID free, and we must ensure they stay this way to exit the lockdown soon.

Think if you really want to go home or can stay back. In districts like Ratnagiri, some who went from here tested positive. So, please be patient.

We are gradually bringing back those from abroad and those from foreign countries held up here are also going back. So, it is not as if everything has grinded to a halt.

But, quarantining them is important. Those coming from outside may act as a carrier of the virus and infect others.

Hence, I want to appeal to my brethren from Konkan and Western Maharashtra. This is a temporary phase, if you can defer your decision to leave, you will do a favour to Maharashtra and your family also.

Many say, we must learn to live with Corona. We are willing to live with Corona, but is it willing to let us live? The world will surely change after Corona.

So far, we said stay at home and be safe. Now, we will have to expand this motto to say, take precautions when outside home. We will have to observe precautions for few months.

You have been observing discipline, and I want this to be strengthened. People are unnecessarily leaving home in containment and Red zones. We are not permitting religious functions and congregations. The lockdown till May 31 is a speed-breaker.

The Govt has decided to inform people before allowing any activity. We allowed some activities but had to stop this due to huge crowds. In some countries, the lockdown had to reimposed after the crowds led to the spread of the virus.

We will re-open industries and markets a disciplined manner so that we do not have to stop any activity once it is allowed.

The academic year begins in June. Some examinations are yet to be held. What about these examinations? When will schools begin? Or will teaching be done online? These are important issues.

We will not allow the academic year to be affected. We are contemplating how schools, colleges and admissions will start.

I want this danger should be curbed before the monsoons, as schools and colleges begin their admissions and academic years in June.

I am sure and confident that as long as the bond of faith between us is strong, we will overcome this situation. I am not happy to impose restrictions. We want to restore normalcy, but it will take a while.

We will be free from these restrictions if we follow self-discipline and break the Corona transmission chain. I am requesting you, the Government is doing all this to prevent a threat to your lives.

I know that you are uneasy. But, this is for your benefit. I am sure that you will cooperate with us like in the past.

Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra