Mumbai, May 7 () Interacting with oppositionleaders, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray onThursday expressed confidence that the coronavirus pandemic inthe state will be curbed by the end of this month.
The Union government was cooperating with the stateand Prime Minister Narendra Modi was easily available fordiscussion and guidance, he said in the meeting which headdressed through video conference.
"I have been talking to you over telephone and seekingyour views. I am also reading what you say in the media. Ifthey are good suggestions, I ask the administration to lookinto them," he said.
"The Centre is also cooperating. The prime minister iseasily available for guidance on critical issues," Thackeraysaid.
"Due to lockdown, the number of patients did not rise(drastically) in April. We need to take care in May. Thenumber of patients is growing in Mumbai and the government hascreated adequate isolation centers," he was quoted as sayingin a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office.
"The pandemic shall be curbed by the end of thismonth," he said.
The opposition leaders who attended the meetingassured that they were with the government during this crisis,the CMO statement said.
The chief minister appealed to people living incontainment zones in Malegaon and Aurangabad cities, which areemerging as infection hotspots, to follow rules, and addedthat local elected representatives should cooperate with theadministration.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said oppositionleaders should help the farmers who haven't got benefit of thefarm loan waiver to get crop loans.
The CMO statement said that Leader of Opposition inthe Assembly Devendra Fadnavis stressed the need to focus onthe situation in Mumbai and to improve the hospitalmanagement.
There should be a planning to ensure the safety ofmedical workers, he said.
The former chief minister also said the stategovernment should demand more trains for ferrying migrantworkers to their home states.
Fadnavis also said that steps should be taken to boostthe morale of the police force, and recommended formation ofzone-wise expert groups for revival of industries.
PWP leader Jayant Patil demanded protection foragriculture-based industries, while Bahujan Vikas Aghadileader Hitendra thakur said local train services in Mumbaiarea should be resumed for few hours a day.
VBA leader Prakash Ambedkar said cotton procurement inthe state should not stop, while AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleelsaid that hospitals should not neglect non-coronaviruspatients.
MNS leader Raj Thackeray said the State Reserve PoliceForce (SRPF) should be deployed in containment zones to assistthe police who have been working non-stop for two months.
Migrant workers should be registered when they returnto the state, he said, and demanded that the governmentdeclare its lockdown exit plan in advance. MRKRK KRK