E-Paper
Politicians unhappy with Maharashtra govt's decision on Covid-19 norms for Pune
Under Pune district, the state government’s previous order clearly mentions that Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad and the rural parts be considered as three separate units. City-based traders said the Shiv Sena is ill-treating the city given that another party is in power at civic body here.
Even as the positivity rate in the city has been declining and is under the state’s average for the last few weeks, the state government’s decision to not offer any relief to Pune from the existing curbs is now being questioned on many levels.
For the duration of July 15–21, the average positivity rate in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits was 3.9%, while it came down to 3.4% during July 22-28, and further dropped to 3.23% for July 29-August 2, making the city fit into the criterion announced by health minister Rajesh Tope last week. Tope said those areas with an average positivity rate less than that of the state will be offered relaxations.
Under Pune district, the state government’s previous order clearly mentions that Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad and the rural parts be considered as three separate units. City-based traders said the Shiv Sena is ill-treating the city given that another party is in power at civic body here.
Muralidhar Mohol, Pune mayor, questioned the mechanism of deciding which parts be granted relief.
“Since a month, the positivity rate in Pune city is below 5%. State government had said that if the positivity rate remains below 5%, then curbs can be eased. In the weekly Covid review meeting I demanded several times that Pune should get relaxations. Traders and people are demanding the same. Guardian minister said that we are positive about it, but on other hand health minister said different things and CM took a different decision.”
Pune city, according to Mohol, is fulfilling the criteria of relaxations set by the state government. “If these criteria are applied, then Pune belongs to level 2. It is important to give relaxations to Pune and the state government should rethink its decision.”
According to data by the district administration, the oxygen bed occupancy in PMC is 7.86%. As per the earlier five-level unlock plan declared by the state government, a positivity rate below 5% and oxygen occupancy percentage below 10% allows more relaxations from Covid-induced curbs. After the level 3 restrictions were made a baseline for restrictions in the state, no official mechanism of unlocking was declared, but the health minister had mentioned that districts below the state average on various Covid indicators would get some relaxations.
As the positivity rate in PMC has dropped a demand has been made to ease the level 3 curbs in Pune city, but no clear answer has been given by the state administration in this regard.
Maharashtra cabinet minister for minority affairs Nawab Malik clarified that no special treatment has been given to Mumbai, saying the decision was taken as the positivity rate in Mumbai dropped to 1%. Malik asserted that if the positivity rate in Pune and the other 10 districts drop then relaxations would also be given to these areas. It has raised the question of whether the state government has secretly changed the criteria of relaxations.
“In Maharashtra, there are 11 districts where positivity rate is above 5%. According Central government’s guidelines in order to contain the spread in such areas some restrictions have to be in place. In Mumbai, the positivity rate has dropped to 1%. So relaxations have been given in Mumbai. Shops are now allowed to remain open till 10 pm. If the positivity rate falls further in Pune and 10 other districts and situation comes under control then Covid curbs would be eased there too,” said Malik.
Prashant Jagtap, NCP city unit chief said, the daily caseload in Pune city has decreased in the last 15 days. “As NCP members, we will request guardian minister Ajit Pawar to give some relaxations to Pune city. Undoubtedly the collective Covid numbers from the district is high, but Pune city has been recording fewer cases.”
