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State can consider relaxations in Pune city if PMC sends proposal: Tope
Tope was talking to HT on the deadlock emerging in the city after traders decided to be adamant in defying the 4 pm deadline following the government’s decision earlier this week not to offer any relief to Pune
PUNE Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope, on Wednesday, said the state government will reconsider its decision on providing relaxation to Pune city if the local authorities recommend the same.
Tope was talking to HT on the deadlock emerging in the city after traders decided to be adamant in defying the 4 pm deadline following the government’s decision earlier this week not to offer any relief to Pune.
“If there is a need of keeping the shops open till 8 pm then the local authorities should recommend this to the state government. If the local authority like municipal commissioner recommends shops to continue remaining open till 8 pm, and if he recommends the decision to the government, we will consider it,” Tope said over the phone.
Tope said this after discussing the issue with chief secretary Sitaram Kunte. “I am conveying this after discussing it with the chief secretary,” he said.
On Wednesday, defying the state government’s restrictions on shop timings, hundreds of shop owners and traders kept shops open past the 4 pm deadline. To end this deadlock between administration and traders health minister has suggested civic body send recommendations to extend shop timings to the state government.
He, however, clarified that sending a relaxation proposal to the government does not mean it would be approved, but it just means that state administration would consider the recommendation would think over it.
“BMC had sent a proposal to ease relaxations and the government gave a nod to that. On this ground, if PMC sends recommendations to Chief Minister’s office then we will think over it,” said Tope.
Meanwhile, Tope accepted that the government has considered a city and rural parts as one unit while evaluating the positivity rate and recommended the continuation of testing and tracing. He also claimed that considering the positivity rate in Pune, the government will consider giving the district more vaccines than its allotted quota.
While the city’s positivity rate for the past fortnight was around 3.3%, making it eligible for relaxations, Pune did not make the cut because the entire district’s positivity rate was above five per cent for July. This was despite the government’s previous order clearly stating that Pune city, Pimpri Chinchwad, and rural parts be considered as three separate administrative units.
