CM virtually meets corporate honchos over economic revival

THE STATE HAS DECIDED TO RELAX LOCKDOWN CURBS IN CITIES AND DISTRICTS BY IMPOSING A FIVE-LEVEL UNLOCK PLAN

MUMBAI: Chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday held discussions with leading corporate honchos and film and TV producers, ahead of the new unlocking rules set to be imposed from Monday.

He asked the business leaders to develop health facilities for the employees, on the lines of field hospitals developed by the state government. CM said that even in the case of a third wave and a subsequent lockdown, the daily activities of industries should not be impacted. In a separate meeting, he asked the film and TV producers to be more careful while restarting shooting activities and extra precaution while filming mob scenes as they require a large number of people.

“I want to set an example of running the industries, by taking all the necessary precautions amid the Covid-19 pandemic. We neither want lockdown nor knockdown, thus everyone is expected to follow

Covid rules. We have taken a calculated risk and will have to be careful while unlocking. We want to kill the snake without breaking the stick,” the chief minister said in a virtual meeting with the corporate leaders, on Sunday.

The state government has decided to relax lockdown restrictions in cities and districts by imposing a five-level unlock plan.

However, the experts have predicted third wave in the state by August. “Even if a third wave hits the state and lockdown has to be imposed, there should be no impact on the industrial production. Industries need to develop health and residential facilities, the way the state government has developed field hospitals. Employees travelling from other states should be tested and isolated. Staggering of duty hours, multiple shifts and lunch breaks should also be staggered to ensure a large number of employees will not be gathered,” CM suggested. The corporate honchos expressed happiness with the over state government’s decision on unlocking.

However, they requested for the general public to be allowed to travel through local trains. They were also of the view that the IT sector should continue with the work from home model, said a senior official.

After meeting with the CM, Harsh Goenka, chairman, RPG Enterprises, tweeted, “The very sensible and scientific graded opening of lockdown from tomorrow ‘Maharashtra Model’ is worth emulating by all states. CM Thackeray very well put today ‘It’s a balance between lockdown and knockdown — disease has to be contained and economy has also to prosper.”