Maharashtra CM virtually meets corporate honchos over economic revival

Chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday held discussions with leading corporate honchos and film and TV producers, following the unlocking rules set by the state government, to be imposed from Monday

Chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday held discussions with leading corporate honchos and film and TV producers, following the unlocking rules set by the state government, 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.

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“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 which is based on positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy in hospitals. The areas coming under level 1 and 2 will be allowed to restart all the regular activities and will be free from most of the restrictions. However, experts have also 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. Those 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,” suggested the chief minister.

The corporate honchos expressed happiness with the state government’s decision on unlocking. However, they want the general public to be allowed to travel through local trains as it is the most convenient mode of transport in Mumbai and surrounding cities. They were also of the view that the IT sector should continue with the work from home (WFH) model,” said a senior official, wishing not to be named.

Harsh Goenka, chairman, RPG Enterprises said that the Maharashtra model is worth emulating by all the states across the country. After meeting with the chief minister, Goenka 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 — the disease has to be contained and the economy has also to prosper.”

The industry leaders who attended the meeting comprised Uday Kotak, former president Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Sanjiv Bajaj president-designate CII, Dr Naushad Forbes, Amit Kalyani, Ashok Hinduja, Dr Anish Shah, Ajay Piramal, Banmali Agrawala, Sunil Mathur, Ujjwal Mathur, Sanjeev Singh, Boman Irani, Niranjan Hiranandani, Asim Charania, Sulajja Firodia Motwani etc. State industries minister Subhash Desai was also present along with senior officials.