Even as the Centre is likely to allow resumption of metro services from September 1, as part of Unlock 4, the Maharashtra government is not in a hurry to do so yet. The state is, though, likely to remove restrictions on interstate travel, sources said.
The government is not looking at resuming “as yet” the metro and monorail services,which have been shut since March, said a state official.
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Wednesday, “People might think that we are progressing slowly but there is no gain in hurrying up (when it comes to unlocking activities). We should ensure that we don’t have to revoke our steps once we have resumed activities.”
However, shut metro services mean huge losses. Sources from the Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL), which runs the Mumbai Metro-1 corridor, said the company is facing losses to the tune of Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore a day.
Maharashtra is likely to issue a notification this week to remove some more restrictions as the extended lockdown period ends on August 31. It might also allow more workforce in offices but it is unlikely to take any decision regarding reopening of schools, cinema halls, restaurants and religious places.
A traders’ body has also written to Thackeray to allow people working in kirana stores/medical shops/other essential services to travel by the suburban train. The suburban local is currently open for essential staff only and the administration is apprehensive of a spike in Covid-19 cases, if the service is opened for all.
“With no locals, there are long queues at bus-stops and crowding in buses, where no social distancing is being maintained. People working in these stores must also be treated at par with the government and medical staff,” said Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association.
On Wednesday, Maharashtra recorded its highest single-day jump with 14,888 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of cases in the state to 718,711. The active cases in the state stood at 172,873.
It also recorded 295 fatalities, taking the toll to 23,089 till date. Of the fatalities on Wednesday, 211 were from the previous 48 hours and 58 were from last week. The remaining 26 deaths were from the period before last week. Mumbai recorded 1,854 new cases and 28 deaths.
