Maharashtra CM directs officials to draw up roadmap for second lockdown
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed the administration to draw up a roadmap for a second lockdown, a move that drew opposition from his own alliance partner, NCP, not to mention angry voices in BJP who warned of public protests.
A decision may be likely on April 2 after a review.
The instructions coincided with the state reporting an all-time high of over 40,000 cases.
A day later on Monday, the tally tapered to 31,643. In Mumbai, cases added up to over 12,000 in the last 48 hours.
The ‘lockdown’ plan does not have enough takers among politicians, who worry about a public backlash.
Experts tracking the pandemic’s progress though are in favour of rolling back relaxations in movement as well as trade and commerce.
“Most cabinet members are against a lockdown. In the first lockdown people suffered, a large number lost their jobs and the economy collapsed,” said NCP spokesperson and state minister Nawab Malik.
Within Shiv Sena there is no consensus on the issue, but NCP has been vocal in its opposition.